We Could Have
by Miss Brite
Summary: UPDATED! The purest love of all is your first and the purest lovers of all are a certain whitelighter and his beloved witch. An alternate universe romance centering around Piper and Leo with other 'could haves' that may or may not prosper.
1. The Beginning

Prolog: Powers do not play a big part in this story but Leo is a whitelighter. Only, he is not dead, it is hereditary and he is mortal until he turns 18 and gets his full powers. The sisters never had their powers bound, and are two years apart.  
  
1982- Coronado Middle School  
  
Piper Halliwell leaned against an oak tree in the recess years, pushing her long dark hair out of the way. She drew on her pant legs as she stared across the lawn at all the other sixth graders. She considered freezing the playground, but knew the risks, which were not worth taking for the sake of boredom. Instead, she pulled her binder from her backpack and began her math homework. She had gotten her name down and started the first question before she saw a shadow fall over her. Expecting a bully, she looked up. Instead she swore that she saw an angel. With dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, he seemed to have a glow around him, a purity that was almost blinding. When he shyly found his voice, she found herself looking over her shoulder wondering whom he possibly could have been talking to.   
  
He spotted her, sitting alone under the Oak tree's shade and he knew that he had to speak to her. He had tried to keep his eyes from meeting hers throughout an entire class period after he saw them for the first time. In an instant he swore that he saw past her glasses and through her eyes, straight into her soul, a soul which cried out him. When he stood near her he managed to spurt out her name and his, awkwardly introducing himself. He prayed that she would read his mind and ask him to sit down. She seemed to be at a loss for her words and he hesitantly lowered himself next to her. He thanked his lucky stars when she did not resist. He mentioned something about their history class, although he barely knew what. Then, too soon, the bell rang and the students were all sent back to the "salt mines." He walked by her side to her locker and when they were there, he blurted out a request for her phone number. Shocked, she scribbled it on his hand and walked to her next class in a daze.   
  
By the time the school bell rang out at the end of the day, Piper could not have told young one word that any of her teachers had spoken, nor would she have allowed you to read her normally diligent notes. With Leo's name absentmindedly scribbled on them, they would have been no use to anyone else. She almost floated to her locker once more before catching the bus home. The echoing memory of Leo's adorable smile served as a constant reminder of the unbelievable moment in time. The mere knowledge that he existed created an inner glow that she had never known. When Prue and Andy found the spot behind her on the bus that day, neither of them gave her a second thought. But knowing that Leo had seen her was enough, the sheer thrill of his smile made up for everything she did not get in life. No matter what happened, or if he never called, the sound of his voice alone would be enough to shoot a cool burst of thrill through her young body. Nothing that her magic lifestyle brought could ever amount to that feeling, and she sighed happily in its sweet memory.   
  
When Leo orbed home that day, his mother was waiting for him with a welcoming smile and a loving kiss on the forehead. He told her about his first day in San Francisco, leaving out the most important event. He for some reason could not bring himself to mention the girl whose soul had scream his name. Maybe he didn't want to jinx it or maybe he was afraid that she would tease him, either way he miraculously made it through dinner without calling her. His mind though had been taped to it, wondering what her voice sounded like over the phone. He stared at the appliance for at least twenty minutes before he turned at the sound of his mother's voice. "Just call her." She said. He asked her how she knew and she simply laughed, leaving him to dial. That was when he made up his mind and dialed the phone number that he had, by now, memorized. He heard the dial for three rings before a girl answered the phone, "Halliwell," She said. He moistened his dry throat enough to ask if she was home. As he heard the first girl call her name, he coughed and ran into the kitchen for a glass of water. Piper had just finished doing her homework when Prue called up the stairs for her. "It's a boy!" Her sister had tauntingly called. Thrilled beyond belief, Piper flew down the stairs and grabbed at the phone. She wanted to scream with exhilaration and shout his name into the phone. But, she steadied herself, counted to 5, took a deep breath and said hello.  
  
"Hi, this is Leo… Leo Wyatt. I'm in your History class."  
  
"I know," She laughed quietly, "I was hoping that you would call."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
When Penny got home from work, Piper was still on the phone. In a matter of two hours, a bond had been formed, a bond that would change both of the children and held true through every one of the obstacles faced by growing up. Even though they both had to hide their magical identities, they still became more than friends, more than lovers: they became soul mates. The second time they saw each other face- to- face they had shattered the timid acquaintance of only a day before. Within a year, they spent every available second together; which, with the frenzied life of close friends and other time-filling hobbies, no longer included Piper drawing on her jeans. And as they became inseparable, the burden of the truth became too make to hold alone. One night, as they faced the end of seventh grade, Piper had to make an announcement.  
  
"Leo, I have to tell you something. I hope you can understand this, I am a witch. I have the power to freeze time, and my sisters and I are the most powerful witches ever born, the Charmed Ones."  
  
"You're a charmed one? That… that means that I am destined to guide you."  
  
"What do you mean? The whole magical witch thing doesn't freak you out?"  
  
"I'm a whitelighter, and when I was born the elders told my parents that I was destined to guide the Charmed Ones."  
  
Without their secret to hide, their relationship hit a new level. And each had met their first love. On their third anniversary as companions they exchanged those, "three little words," for the first time. And, on their six-year anniversary, he had planned to give her a promise ring. He had planned it to be the perfect day. Both closing in on seventeen, he and his love would spend the day together. He had packed them a picnic basket and took her to Golden Gate Park. The sun shone in on them as they basked in the spring sun, with the blanket beneath them. The soft breeze around them ruffled her long white skirt every now and then. She leaned her body onto the strength of his young, warm chest. He brushed her long brown hair away from her face as gently as the breeze was lifting the leaves barely off the ground. She turned around to face him and their eyes met, as if for the first time. They leaned their faces together, letting their lips touch. He tasted the uniqueness that filled her kiss, stroking her back and embracing her, the perfect kiss on the perfect day. Then it all went to hell.   
  
Leo barely heard the sound of the gun as it went off, but he could certainly feel it as it shot through her. He tried to steady her as she quivered in his weakened arms. He felt the bullet enter his body and looked over her shoulder. He saw a young man holding a gun, and the jolt that went through him was worth then the wrath of twenty bullets as he recognized the one who had ruined his perfect day. Before he lost consciousness he asked, "why?" The last thing he heard was, "Because you have the woman I love." Then the sound of someone screaming mixed in with the sound of his best friend leaving the scene as fast as he could. Penny sat behind the hospital counter, answering the phones and filing appointments, the usual tasks of her job. The ER was alive with excitement. She heard the doors of the building crash open, but kept working. She looked up long enough to hear the two victims' ages; they were in their late teens. She shook her head, it was always sad when they got such young victims, so full of life. She wondered what had happened to these two.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Looks like they were having a picnic, a witness heard a gunshot and found these two. No ID, although the girl had a bracelet on her arm with the names Piper and Leo on it, and he had a ring in his pocket with the same names engraved. Looks like he was planning on giving her a promise ring."  
  
Penny was frozen in fear, unable to hear anything but the blood rushing to her head. No, she thought, It can't be true. She asked her friend to cover for her as she ran to follow the gurney. The sight that met her caused a well of nausea to form in her stomach. Little Piper, shy, innocent Little Piper, who had so looked forward to this day. Blood now stained her beautiful new skirt and a bullet hole through her favorite pink shirt was now surrounded by the red color that burst from her young and innocent body. So many thoughts ran through Penny's graying head. In an instant, she saw Piper's life flash before her. She remembered the day that her granddaughter had proudly taken her first steps, the day she had shyly entered the public school system, she remembered Piper's birth and her reaction to young Phoebe. I want a baby, but not this one. She's too loud. In her own eloquent, two year-old words Piper had begun her long time wish to have the family life that she deserved. Penny imagined the idea of never meeting the great grandchildren that Piper would have lovingly cared for, and she could barely stand. Then, she looked at Leo. She had known for some time now that Leo would some day join her family. Never before had she seen such love as Piper was blessed with at such an early age. She grew angry, realizing that someone had deliberately harmed them, and she couldn't imagine such a monster. But, as the two teenagers began to leave her sight she knew that she had to be strong, and she had to be responsible. She found the doctor assigned to them.  
  
"Dr. Hanes. Please, my granddaughter was just brought in with her boyfriend."  
  
"You can identify the two teens? Great, what are their names?"  
  
"Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt. Are they going to be all right?"  
  
"Penny, you know that we won't know anything for awhile. I suggest that you call in someone to cover for you and call the rest of your family. Can you contact Leo's parents for me? By the way, how old are they?"  
  
"Seventeen. When will you know more?"  
  
"It could be another hour or only five minutes. I'll let you know the second that I learn something. If you'll excuse me."  
  
Prue lay on the couch in the Halliwell manner's sunroom as the sky began to turn from the afternoon light to the transitive warmth of late afternoon. She felt the warmth of Andy's body against her own as the TV flickered uselessly in the background. Each time he kissed her, a shiver went through her body and as he began to let his hands wonder, the phone rang in the background. The sound startled her and she sat up so suddenly that Andy almost fell off the couch. "Just let it ring! What's so important?"  
  
He asked her. She kissed him again and said, " Grams will be pissed off if she thinks that I'm not home, I AM supposed to be grounded after all." She said with a smile as she made her way towards the ringing phone. She took a deep breath, trying to still her pounding heart as she said Hello.   
  
"Prue! Thank god you answered. I need you to bring Phoebe to the hospital."  
  
"What! Why? Grams, What is going on?"   
  
"Prudence, I just need you to do as I say. Piper… she…. Just, get your sister! And call Leo's parents, tell them to get to the hospital."   
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"We don't know yet, but she's not dead. Please, hurry!"  
  
"I'm on my way." She said, running towards the door. Andy grabbed her arm. Shocking her. She looked at him as if she had never seen him in her life.   
  
"Prue! What is going on?"  
  
"I have to get Phoebe. Piper is in the hospital."  
  
"Prue, calm down. First of all you should probably make yourself look a little more presentable," He said, looking at her smeared makeup and wrinkled clothing, "and secondly I think that Phoebe would react better to someone with a cooler mind getting her. I'll go get Phoebe, you go change. We'll meet you at the hospital."  
  
"Wait, you're coming?"  
  
"Prue, she is like my little sister, I have to. Now was there anything else that Penny asked you to do?"  
  
"Yeah, call Leo's parents. I guess that you're right. How do you stay so level headed?"  
  
"It's a gift. Now go, and be sure to wipe the lipstick off your face. Pink is not your color." 


	2. It Continues

-------WE COULD HAVE PART FOUR--------  
  
Leo's parents beat them all to the hospital and were pacing in the waiting room when Prue arrived. She was followed by Phoebe and Andy fifteen minutes later. No one knew anything yet, and it was driving them all crazy. Penny joined them as the afternoon grew later and someone arrived to cover for her. They all sat around; feeling helpless for a full thirty minutes before the doctor arrived.   
  
"You are with Leo Wyatt and Piper Halliwell, correct?"  
  
"Yes. Please, are they okay? What happened?" Penny begged, needing to know.  
  
"Well, the bullet seems to have gone right through Piper and into Leo. They will both be all right but the bullet poisoned her kidneys. Does she have any full blood siblings?"  
  
"Phoebe and I are her sisters."   
  
"Then we would like to test you as possible donors. As for Leo, we were able to retrieve the bullet and he should be waking up at any time now."  
  
The group was visibly relieved as they finally received some news. Leo's parents were escorted to a room, to see their son, while the rest of the gang chose to stay behind and speak with the doctor. Neither would have ever admitted it but they were both scared to death at the possibility that they could be donors. And the look that crossed the man's face told that there was something else he needed to say. He looked at the two girls, trying to decide how best to explain the procedure to them. They seemed old enough to understand but fragile enough to be treated delicately. His first question was to ask their names and ages. One had black hair and looked to be in her early twenties and the other had hair lighter then Piper's, and appeared to be about thirteen years old. The older one spoke first.  
  
"Prue. I'm eighteen.  
  
"Phoebe, I'm fourteen."  
  
"All right. I want you to understand that if you indeed are possible donors that you have every right to decide not to. After the surgery you would be very weak. You wouldn't be playing any sports for at least two months, and would be out of school for at least a couple of weeks. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes sir. WE do, we would do anything for our sister." Prue replied.  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"All right then, by any change are either of you AB negative?"  
  
"I am." Spoke up the black haired boy who had, until that point, been silent.  
  
"And you are?"  
  
"Prue's boyfriend. Listen, Piper is like a sister to me. If there is anything I can do, please let me help."  
  
"Well then, you should also be tested as a possible donor. And we also may ask you to donate some blood, we are always low on the rare blood types and this surgery will require some blood."  
  
"Will the fact that we have different blood types lower our chances our being a donor?" Prue asked.   
  
"Not much, if you are then we can take precautions to keep her body from rejecting it."  
  
"Okay."  
  
While the three of them were tested, Leo woke up. His first reaction was to call out his love's name. His parents tried their best to calm him. But, he refused to be quiet until they let him see her. In the end, the nurse agreed to move Piper into Leo's room, so they could be together. Once he had calmed, they called Andy's dad. He was a detective, and a good friend of the family. By the time he got there, Piper's bed had been wheeled in and Penny, Prue, phoebe and Andy had gotten back to the room. Leo stared at the lifeless body that lay on the sterile hospital bed next to him and he wondered why their perfect day had to be ruined what he could have done differently. His attention was suddenly shifted when the Inspector entered and his father loudly spoke his name. It only took him a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him. They all wanted to know the answers to their questions.  
  
"Now Leo, I'm going to record what you say so that you only have to say it once, all right?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"All right. Leo, do you know who did this to you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What is their name, son?"  
  
"Dan Gordon," He stated after a moment's hesitancy, wincing as he spoke the name. He didn't want it to be true. Everyone gasped, having known Dan for so many years. He had become friend with all three sisters, and Andy. And, the ones who had known him best now lay in parallel hospital beds.   
  
"Are you sure?" Prue asked. She had considered Dan to be like a little brother to her. When Leo nodded his head she felt anger surge through her. "Why?" She asked.  
  
"It's all my fault. I've known for some time now that he had a crush on Piper. I didn't think anything of it, he was one of my best friends and would never betray me. But today... I told him everything that I had planned." He smiled, "I wanted her ot know that I never wanted to be without her. I want her to be by my side, as my wife, until we are both old and wrinkled.... Dan was weird about it, but I was so excited that I didn't care about anything else. I hadn't given her the ring yet. The time was near, but I cared more about the moment, the perfect day. Then... when I felt her body shake... and her eyes... they were wide open, so beutiful. THe eyes I fell in love with stared at him and time seemed to go slower, at a snails pace. I felt the bullet go through her body and tried to steady her. I saw him and asked, why. He didn't seem right... I think that he had been drinking... And now she's here and it's my fault. I should have done something."  
  
"Leo, its not your fault. Now, I am going to send every available cop to find him. Do you know where he woul have gone?"  
  
"Call Jake Roberts, he would know. Is Piper ever going to wake up? Will she be paralysed?"  
  
"She'll be fine Leo. And so will you." His mother told him, stroking his dirty blonde hair.  
  
------WE COULD HAVE PART FIVE--------------  
  
That night, after everyone had settled down, Leo snuck out of bed and held Piper's hand. She looked so fragile and small. In his mind he kept repeating the day over and over again. He walked over to the cupboard where all his clothes had been placed, he found the ring in his pocket and carried it over to her bed. He looked into her closed eyes and held hand, through all of the wires and machines. He stocked her face and moved the untamed brown hair from her face. He found himself gently kissing her lips as she lay there, pale and warm. He found himself quietly singing to her, as if she could actually hear him, while he fingered the ring in his hand. L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one i see, V is very very extraordinary, E is even more than anything that I adore and LOVE is all I have to give to you. LOVE is more than just a game for two. He laughed to himself, she had always liked that song, and he had always thought of her when he heard it, even before he said those three little words. He smiled just thinking about her, he smiled just thinking about giving her that ring and he smiled whenever she smiled. She just plain out made him smile. And as he imagined a lifetime spent with her, he couldn't wait another moment to tell her. "Piper." He found himself saying to her.   
  
"As long as I live no one will ever love me the way that you do, no one will ever be able to make me smile like you do. No one will ever be able to have my heart, because you, my first love, will always have it. I never want to know what it's like to be without you. I do not ever want to wonder what we could have been. I always want to see your smiling face the moment I wake up and before I fall asleep. I want you to know that being your husband would be the best gift I ever could recieve. A life with you would be the closest I could ever get to heaven and the day that you leave me will be the closest I ever come to hell. My little Piper, I promise to marry you the second that you want me to. And I hope that you would have me as a husband someday." He finished, witha tear in his eye before turning around to see Penny in the door way and before he could say her name he heard a small voice from behind him.  
  
---------WE COULD HAVE PART SIX-----------  
  
"I love you, Leo." Piper had said as her eyes slowly opened. Leo ran to her, scooping her up into his arms as gently as he could. She looked at him with wide eyes and asked, "Did you mean what you said? Or do you say that to all the girls when they are unconcious?" He laughed.  
  
"Only the ones that take my breath away. And only the ones that I have been pining over for so many years. So basically, only you. It could only be you to wear this ring. Only you who I could ever think of loving until the day I die." He said to her as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a beautiful ring, with a silver band and a rose colored diamond in the shape of a heart. Perfect for its intent.  
  
"Only if you would have me of course." He said with a pleading look in his eyes. SHe didn't answer him verbally, she simply kissed him as tenderly as he had kissed her. She winced slightly when he hugged her, although only Penny noticed. Piper put a finger to her mouth, not wanting Leo to realise she was in pain. She looked at the ring again and said, "Oh Leo, its so beautiful."  
  
"Not as beautiful as you are, my dear. So is that a yes?"  
  
"No." She said, putting on a poker face, panicking him," It's a hell yes!"  
  
They all laughed and hugged, Penny running to get the others. And while she was gone Piper looked to Leo and asked the question that she had put off until then. She asked what had happened. He could not meet her eyes as he said that they had been shot.  
  
"Do you know who it was yet?"  
  
"Piper, it was Dan."  
  
"Dan as in..."  
  
"Dan Gordon."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"He has a crush on you Piper, he said something about how he could have had you. I think that he was drunk or something. I am so sorry Piper, it is my fault. I was so excited about giving you the ring that I din't notice how weird he was acting."  
  
"Leo," She said not looking into his eyes, ashamed, "It's not your fault. It's mine."  
  
"What do you mean?" 


	3. More

--------WE COULD HAVE PART SEVEN---------  
  
"A couple of months ago, at a party, Dan told me that he was in love with me. At first I thought that he was joking, but then he started trying to kiss me. I... I was shocked, I didn't know what to do. I... I kissed him back." She looked ashamed ans would not meet his eyes, " Then I realised what I was doing and I pushed him away, I told him that I didn't feel the same way. He told me that if it hadn't been for you... that I would love him too. I started to get angry and I told him that I could bever love anyone else, that he needed to forget it ever happened. I think that I hurt him when I pushed him away, but... I never thought that he was capable of this..." She said, still not meeting his eye. Neither of them spoke until a few minutes later when the rest of the brood arrived. Piper had a feeling that Penny had held them back, letting the two have some time. She put on a strong face for her sisters as she hugged them. And when the doctor arrived she realised that she had no idea how bad the damage was from the shot, so she asked.  
  
"Well Miss Halliwell, you will be pleased to know that you have minimal damage. But, you still have one big obstical ahead, you are going to need a new kidney. Which can be provided by a donor." Prue cut in at that point.  
  
"Have you gotten the results back yet?"  
  
"Yes, and it appears that Phoebe is a perfect match."  
  
--------WE COULD HAVE PART EIGHT---------  
  
Everyone was quiet for a moment while Phoebe let the words sink in. After enough time had passed, the doctor broke the silence, and asked the youngest Halliwell what she wanted to do. Phoebe only hesitated for a moment before she said that she wanted to do it. Piper asked her to come closer and she took her baby sisters hand. She looked her straight in the eye and told her that she didn't have to. But that seemed to make her more determined to help her sister, who had always been there whenever she was needed, who had spent her entire life protecting the eldest and youngest from one another. She looked right into the eyes of her older sister and said simply, "I love you." Which was all she needed to say to justify her sacrifice. Prue watched her unnoticed in the background and smiled, realising that her baby sister had grown up. Phoebe was, in her eyes, no longer the irresponsible and unreliable person that she had once seen. The strong love that both sisters felt towards Piper gave Prue hope tha someday the three of them could be as close to one another, including the often feuding sisters. As the doctor was going through the procedure with the sisters, Andy's dad came back and waited in the doorway. Andy was the first to notice him and bring his presence to the attention of the others.   
  
"Dad? Do you have some news?"  
  
"Yes, it seems that we have found Dan. He is in custody now. I just though that you would like to know."  
  
--------WE COULD HAVE PART NINE---------  
  
Within a weeks time, Leo was released from the hospital and the sisters were prepared for surgery. As Dan got settled in prison and the room Piper and Leo had shared filled with flowers and balloons; as that short time passed the entire world seemd to change. Spending each spare moment at the hospital, was Halliwell and each Wyatt has energy as drained as any could remember. Prue and Andy attempted to finish their senior year Leo tryed to get back to his daily routine. He tried to adjust to life with constant hospital trips and a day that was no longer filled with the intimate moments he always shared with his two best friends. Each night when he fell asleep the memories that plagued him never seemed to fade as much as the small amount of life he still had in him. He was weary, more so than anyone realised. Even spending time with Piper, once his favorite past time, drained him. Each time he held her he felt the quiver of her fragile form as a bullet shot through her and every time he thought of her he thought of the bullet that Dan had shot through both of their hearts. By the time that week had passed he knew that the time had come to face a much avoided obstacle. He knew that it was time to truly face what had happened. He drove to the jail on the Sunday afternoon. It was as beautiful as it had been the week before, the day that had brought him to visit Dan in a prison. He felt incredibly out of place there, amongst the criminals, as he signed in to visit. He was escorted into a room while someone went to get Dan. He tried to calm himself, prepare himself for what was to come. He closed his eyes and held his head in his hands, with his elbows on the counter. For that one moment he tricked himself into believing that it wasn't true. Then the voice from the other side of the window spoke, pulling him out of his illusion. When Dan spoke his name it all became real, and when Leo saw his face the reality of who Dan had become sunk in.  
  
"If it isn't the little husband? Where's the bride to be?"  
  
"Dan, how can you joke about this? I don't understand why you would go this far just to hurt me!"  
  
"You know that you can't pin this all on me. If it weren't for your little tease of a girlfriend, non of this would have happened."  
  
"Don't even try to tell me that this is Piper's fault. No matter how much either of us blame ourselves, or how much we are at fault, the fact still remains that you fired that trigger. And nothing you could ever say or do would ever change that I love her and always will. You may think that you can feel that love but you can't, no one can. She means more to me than you will ever know and when we get through this, and we will, I hope that you will have seen through the insanity that must have driven you to harm someone as beautiful and pure and loving as that girl you shot. Someday I hope that we can look back on this and cringe, then move on. Because, as my best friend, you should have been a part of my life until fate decided differantly."  
  
"Ya done? Because if your speal is over than can I point out that I was never your best friend, she was. And if I meant so much to you, than you would have cared somewhat about the fact that I was dealing with the torture of unrequanted love, and the torment of only one kiss. Then, I saw how oblivious you were, how blissfully happy you could be without me. My only regret is that my aiming was impaired by my anger. Now, if you will excuse me, my cellmate is very eager to have a fresh newbie to control." Dan said with an heir of bored vengence before getting up and being escorted, cuffed, back to his cell. Leo was left to drive back to the hospital, and wait as the woman he loved came out of surgery.  
  
----------WE COULD HAVE PART TEN----------  
  
A month later, Prue and Andy graduated together. Present at the ceremony were all of the Halliwells, including the two youngest sisters, who were still recovering but out of the hospital at last. As Prue accepted her long-awaited diploma the sisters cheered and hollored, letting out some pent-up energy. For a moment they were able to celebrate, forget about the impending court trial and the lifes they needed to reconnect to. For a single moment, as the class of 1987 graduated into life, there was a day when they could reval inthe many years that had lead them up to that point. Tears of joy over-road the dreary moments of the last month and screams of joy drove out the painful, earshattering screams from bitter nightmares. As the summer began, life set in and the time cam for the graduates to leave home. But, as the family returned to normal life, Prue realised that she couldn't leave. The blossoming friendship that she was now gaining with her sisters may not have been able to withstand the distant and was more important to her than any college back east. So as she began to prepare for college life in her hometown Andy prepared to leave. And so with one last unfulfilling kiss and a night spend in memories blissful glory, they ended the loving relationship that was all either had ever known. They said goodbye to one another as Piper and Leo faced the issues that demanded their attention. Unlike the older couple though, their relationship did not end. Many long nights and conversations led to a peaceful truce between them conserning the events leading to the day of terror that still haunted them. The few weeks that seperated the beginning of summer from the looming trial were ones that they spent together, growing even closer. Dreading that day that stared ahead of them.  
  
On the day that began Dan's trial Piper awoke early and drank as much caffeine as her young body would hold. Before the rest of the house woke she dressed in a long dark blue skirt and a white blouse. She was putting her long dark hair into a frech twist when her grandmother came into her room, intending to wake the younger Halliwells up. She squeezed Piper's hand after startling her into dropping her brush, then moved onto the deepsleeping Phoebe. Piper checked her hair in the mirror before going downstairs to the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee. When she had assissted her grams in the often lifethreatening task of waking the stubborn 14 year-old, she knocked on Prue's door and peeked inside her room. She found her sister's clothes laid out, as usual, and saw her sister's sleeping form under her covers. She, now fully awake, went over and wispered playfull yin her ear. "Prudence. Don't you want to play with me? Where are you?" Prue awoke with a smile, remembering the game that the sisters had once played every day. "I'm ready to play if you are ready to party!" She responded, giving her little sister a hug before getting out of bed. She shooed the newly 17 year old girl out of her room so she could change her clothes. Piper wondered downstairs again and found herself randomly making whatever breakfast item she found in the kitchen. The cooking calmed her frayed nerves as she felt the nautiousness that collects in your stomach and you can feel in your throat. She zoned out for a moment until the rest of the family joined her, pulling her away from a trance-like state. They all ate a tense breakfast together, all terrified but too stubborn to admit it.   
  
The summer went by with little change in their lives except for the gradual fading of nightmares. When school started again Piper and Leo rejoined their class for a final year in school. Piper was a little bit behind her class but, being as smart as she was, caught up quickly. The people that knew about what had happened didn't mention it and those who didn't know knew better then to ask. The couple had planned to wed that summer because they knew that time was running out. When Leo was initiated as a whitelighter the following October then the elders would be able to put a stop to their relationship but until then they had no say. The wedding would be beautiful. They each had their worries about marrying young but the rules of the elders gave them no choice, they couldn't stand to lose each other. During the time leading up to it they avoided speaking about it and focused on their current relationship and the other aspects of their very full and busy lives. Neither of them wanted their lives to change, they were finally getting back to normal. Their seven-year anniversary approached with guarded weariness as they remembered the celebration that had taken place a year before. But Leo was determined to celebrate, not to fear the day because he wanted it to be remembered as the day that they met, not the day that they had almost lost one another. They needed to celebrate the fact that they had survived an entire year of drama, fear and nightmarish occurrences.   
  
He snuck into the room that Piper shared with Phoebe, who was thankfully an incredibly hard sleeper. He silently made his way through the window when the sun still had a couple of hours before it came up. He moved over to her bed and just watched her sleep for a moment; she looked so calm and serene. Quietly he pulled down her covers, causing her to wake. He held her in silence until she drifted back to slumber. Then he put his arms under her, carrying the girl who had both of her arms around his neck. He covered her with a thick blanket, not wanting her to get cold. He carried her down the stairs and out the door, which was opened by his accomplice Prue. She had helped him plan the entire day, hoping that they could move on with their life without having to fear the anniversary of that day. The car had been prepped with a back seat full of pillows so that she wouldn't have to wake. For the past year sleep had been something that she had begun to treasure, a sleep filled night without a nightmare or a day when she got to bed soon enough. She needed her rest and he would wait until they got to their destination to disrupt her peaceful sleep. As he drove, he would look back at her through the rearview mirror. Amazingly she managed to stay asleep. He was curious as to why waking her up and essentially kidnapping her hadn't caused her more fear. They arrived at the beach just as the sun began to rise and Leo arranged their morning picnic while Piper slept in the locked car. He carried her to the blanket, sitting down he her still in his arms. He made their position more comfortable before giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead and gently whispering in her ear, "Piper sweetie, wake up now."   
  
As she began to stir he adjusted the blanket that covered her so that he could be certain that no cold air reached her delicate skin. She slowly opened her eyes and followed the direction of his voice to meet his eyes. She looked into them silently for a moment before she noticed her surroundings. The empty beach was falling under the spell of the rising sun. She gave him a puzzled look and he simply smiled mischievously at her. She noticed that they were on a blanket in the sand and that he had his warm and loving hands around her while she had her back against his chest. Her mind was not quite awake yet so she didn't bother to ask him how they had gotten there. He handed her a cup of coffee just the way that she liked it. He watched her wait as she sipped at the warm liquid and could only that the morning had never looked more beautiful. And suddenly she seemed ageless, all that mattered to him was that he be able to wake up every morning and find it as beautiful as this one, because any day with a woman like this would be amazing, no matter what it held. He looked into the eyes that always gave him a window to her soul and saw more alertness fill them. He decided to tell her what she obviously wanted to know.  
  
"I wanted us to begin this day as early as we could. So I kidnapped you and stole you away into the sunrise."  
  
"Don't people usually ride off into the sunset. Wait, I didn't even notice you taking me."  
  
"I wondered about that too, but I just figured that you were really tired. You don't mind me waking you do you? Because if you want you can sleep, that's fine with me."  
  
"You're too good for me. But this day is too beautiful to miss."  
  
"Good. Then keep drinking that coffee and we can let it begin."  
  
"What do you have planned?" She wondered curiously aloud.   
  
"That my dear would be a surprise. And don't even say it, I am not doing this just for you. This is for us and besides I owe you."  
  
"Why do you owe me?  
  
"Are you kidding? You have been by my side for seven long years! You taught me how to love, you gave me life, you were my first… well everything."  
  
"Oh Leo, you know that you don't have to do this. You don't owe me anything. I have spent seven years in disbelief that any person could be as amazing as you are, and…"  
  
"Shh…" He said placing a finger gently on her lips, "If we waste the day examining our lives then we won't have time for fun."  
  
"All right, so what's next?" She answered with a nod and an adventurously curious question.  
  
"Breakfast," He answered with a grin.  
  
She smiled, feeling awake as they ate together. They fed each other, talking and laughing. They enjoyed the early morning of the beach as the sun above held enough warmth that the blanket around Piper became useless so it was discarded revealing a knee length, pale blue nightgown with spaghetti straps. He squeezed her tightly as they finished their meal. She walked barefoot across the sand, her pajamas barely moving in the still wind. Leo silently thanked Prue who had suggested that she bring a camera. He pulled his dad's out of his bag and took a picture of the most awe inspiring sight that he had ever seen, though he didn't let her know that he had taken it. He stashed the camera and started to pack up the meal, she noticed what he was doing and ran over to help. He didn't stop her, knowing that she wouldn't take no for an answer. But when it came time to carry everything out to the car, he insisted that she not walk across the rocky pavement in her bare feet, which she couldn't argue with. So she watched him as he walked, his body covered by a pair of tight black sweatpants and a white T-shirt. The way that he moved was so familiar to her that it was a marvel that every move he made was still able to thrill her. As she wandered across the cool sand, she somehow knew that the day would be perfect. Her intuition, which Prue had always told her to follow, gave her the sense that for this one day nothing could go wrong. For once, she was free of the nervous caution with which she always perceived life. He helped her out to the car and together they drove back to the manner as the early morning turned to the early afternoon.   
  
They arrived at the manner just after 10 and found Prue in the living room, waiting for them and Penny in the kitchen, not yet having noticed that her granddaughter was gone. Prue smiled as she watched her sister be carried into the house, protesting it playfully. She insisted that she could walk and did not need him to sweep her off her feet. He looked hurt as she said this and simply kissed her as he set her down on the ground. Prue couldn't help but miss Andy as she watched them. But she focused on the current moment and jumped up to grab Piper away. ""Ou are coming with me!" She proclaimed and Piper saluted giving Leo a smile that said, "I'll be back soon." He smiled back at her and turned to start on the next phase of his master plan. Meanwhile, Prue dragged the middle Halliwell sister up the stairs to her bedroom. Piper laughed with excitement, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Prue ushered her into the room and when Piper asked her what was going on. She said, "Well you can't very well spend the entire day in your PJs." Piper laughed, Prue had layed out an entire outfit on her bed, complete with shoes, socks, even a hair scrunchy and they were all layed out as if someone had been laying on the bed and suddenly dissapeared, leaving behind their clothing. We have got to get Prue a hobby, she thought to herself. Prue glared at her as if she could read Piper's mind. Piper laughed yet again and looked more closely at the outfit. It was her light blue denim short-alls, her pinktshirt and socks with white tennis shoes and a blue scrunchie. 


	4. Continued

As soon as they were outside of the house Leo gently died a blindfold over her eyes. Intruiged, she chose not to question him and instead wait until she knew that she would get an answer. He carefully lead her out to his car and opened her door for her. After she was in he ran around to the other side and they were off. This drive was much shorter then the one to the beach and of course Piperwas awake. So they talked about nothing in particular, as Piper anxiously awaited their day. As Piper listened to only his voice she smiled. In her mind she could see every expression he made, the way the his mouth moved, and his gentle voice always knew how best to adress her. She knew each time he looked at her and loved every moment of the trip. Then the car stopped and she heard Leo's door open. She waited for him as he opened he side of the car and lead her out of it by the hand. Then he took her by the shoulders, directing her more cautiosly. She could hear other people around and tried to figure out where he had taken her. She tried to peak but he held her hands behind her back, both to keep her from lowering hte blindfold and from accidentilly freezing something if she panicked. He left her alone for a minute with the warning, "Don't even think about peaking little miss Piper. I am going ot be watching you!" She laughed at his attempt to be all macho, it just wasn't him. A couple of moments later he returned and lead her inside. The carnival removed, she burst into laughter. he had brought her to the place were they had first gone on a "real date" They were at the carnival! He was relived to see that she didn't think it was stupid or immature, she sounded thrilled. Excitedly, they walked hand in hand, and they went to ever single booth, after all they had all day. Together. Four hours later they had finally reached the end of the attractions. She held in her arms a giant blue teddy beat and a white bow tie as they strolled back to the car, weary from the long day. They drove back to the manner, much quieter then before and found that Penny had gone to work but that both of her sisters were home. As they walked thorugh the door to the manner she turned to him and asked, "Whats next?" And he replied with a weak smile, "Rest, we are going ot hang out until dinner." She looked relieved and said "Thank god!" So they simply lay in the living room with Prue and Phoebe, watching a movie. Actually though, by about 30 minutes into it both of them lay sleeping in each others arms, covered by a blanket that Prue had lovingly put over them. And when it was 6:00, an hour and a half before their reservations, Prue and Phoebe giggled away from the scene to enact Prue's own little scheme.   
  
They found what they were looking for in the attic along with Leo's nice dinner clothes, which he had brought over that morning and they slipped it into his pocket before drawing a warm bath for Piper and preparing to assist her every need. They gently awoke the sleeping lovers and whisked them away. At promptly 7:10 they met in the kitchen and Leo produced a single pink rose, her favorite. She smiled lovingly at him as she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Prue appeared unseen with a camera and took a photo of the scene before pulling Leo aside. Piper ran upstairs to grab her forgotten purse while Prue gave Leo her surprise. He thanked her, giving his future sister- in- law a big hug before leading his lovely girlfriend out of the door. They talked excitedly on the way to the restaurant and all the way inside. And as they ate they both felt content; more so then they ever had before. And as the dinner dishes were being taken away he looked into her eyes and said, "I have something for you." She locked gaze with him and smiled. "What more could you possibly give me?" Mischieviously he answered, "Actually darling, its more about what you can give me!" She looked at him doubtfully as he got down on one knee and produced her mother's engagement ring. "Piper Halliwell, I was hoping that you would give me the great pleasure of being my fianceé." And with the loving look he gave her she couldn't resist. She went to take off the beautiful promise ring that he had given her and found it missing, she panicked until she met eyes with Leo and silently she knew what had happened. "My sisters had something to do with this didn't they?" He laughed and slipped the ring on her finger, nodding in mock shame. She got down from her chair next to him and hugged him. "Leo, nothing would give me nore pleasure then to be your wife." And for that moment, that day, they were happy. Before the doubts set in they spent a blissful night asleep in each others arms, a prelude of what was to come. They were happier then they had ever been and Piper only hoped that it could stay that way.   
  
Before long, it was time for prom and they faced the event with the same exitement as every other Senior in their class. By that time, most of their friends knew of their engagement and mostly they were supportive, though they didn't understand it. To everyone else they just seemed like naïve young lovers who couldn't stand the thought of waiting to spend their lives together. In part that was a true thought, though if truth be told they both wished that it could wait. They both knew that, had circumstances been differant, they would have waited. But with the cards dealt to them they enjoyed their time as the graduating seniors of 1988. They joined the rest of their class in the festivities of the night, the dancing and the kissing and the after prom parties. They stayed together through it all, except for a few occasions when they were seperated. Like when Piper's friend Britt pulled her aside and asked her if the rumours of the upcoming nuptuals were true. And Piper glanced towards Leo across the room and nodded happily. Britt looked at her for a moment and asked, "Are you sure that your doing the right thing? I mean, you guys are awfully young! My parents married young but now they hate each other and my mom always says that she wishes that they had waited." Piper looked almost through her for a moment before responding. The fact was that her friend had just voiced every fear that she held and the answer came to her surprisingly easily. "I know that it doesn't seem right. And the situation isn't perfect, and the chances are that we may not last but all I know is that he is perfect. And that, even if we end up the way your parents did, we would still have each other for how ever long we did. If our lives don't end up perfect than all that would matter is that for a moment we could be happy and if I lose him then I'll spend my entire life wondering what could have been. And if I don't do this then... well the result is not something I want to imagine. When I see him I don't see how young he is, I see how much I love him. And I see that now is as good a time as any." Britt just nodded and said congradulations before walking away. Piper met Leo's eyes across the room and smiled, with a new resolve to do whatever it took to stay with him.   
  
After prom inevitably came graduation and the class of '88 said goodbye to their High School life and embarked on the new time to come. And a man watched the ceremonys, unknown to most of the audience and especially to Piper Halliwell. As she accepted her diploma he watched her in awe at how much she had grown since he had last seen her, then again quite a bit of time had passed. Made aware of the upcoming marriage he did all he could to be there, in his old home town to see her wed. He knew that she would be reluctant at first, but she would come around. After all, he was her father. And as soon as he learned from Phoebe that his little girl was getting married he knew that the time had come to reconnect with his long estranged family. Then the name of the boy his daughter was marrying came up. Wyatt, he would have to chat a little with the young man who stole the middle child's heart. And then he realized that he had no right. He had given up his rights as father when he left so long ago, but that didn't change his resolve to be invloved again. And when he spotted Penny in the crowd, with two teenage girls he knew that no more time could pass. If it weren't for Prue's tell tale black hair and Phoebe's obvious youth, he wouldn't have been able to tell which of his beloved daughters was which. And when the ceremony ended he found the group in their congradulations. Timidly he found an opportunity to interrupt. Penny, of course, looked furious. And the same boiling rage was reflected in his eldest daughters eyes but all that he focused on was Piper and saying congradulations. Within minutes he had been reintroduced to each of the Halliwells and thn came the time for him to meet his future son in law. There was something wierd about the boy and Victor was determined to figure out what that was. And after staying only a few minutes he left, with the intention of meeting the clan for lunch the following day. Walking away he watched sadly as he realized that he knew nothing about the young girls in front of him. But hopefully that would change. 


	5. The Wedding

The few weeks of transition between Graduation and the Wedding seemed to occur in the blink of an eye. And in that time the two had adjusted to life as an engaged couple; spending their time between his house and hers. Also in that time it had been arranged that Victor would walk his daughter down the aisle. On the morning of the big day, Leo had orbed into her bed room before she awoke and covered her bed with the petals of pink roses and as he finished up a small collage of sorts on one side of her bed she opened her eyes. He orbed out with a smile as he heard her say his name and knew that she would be sitting up as he magically tranported himself home. Her sisters then came in and had a small petal fight before Grams came in with a big tray of breakfast. She waved it away claiming not to be hungry but the very stubborn women insisted. "Piper, sweetie, trust me you will wish that you had eaten!! Or else by the end of the day you'll be too weak to think straight!" Prue got a serious look on her face and said, "Listen to her sis! You are speaking with the authority figure on getting married!! She would know!" Grams looked hurt and threw Prue and mean glance causing all of the girls to laugh. Piper felt unimaginably happy, today was a great day. Meanwhile Leo was pacing back in forth, driving his parents crazy. They all orbed to the house together and Leo was led by Prue down to the basement where he was to get dressed. He found Victor there and knew that he was in for a talk. He had made the mistake of letting his future father in law know that he was a whitelighter and as a result the man started to hate him. From what Piper told him, he knew that her mother had fallen for her guardian angel and as a result Victor blamed him for their failed marriage. Leo felt that the guy had no right to be mad at him for simply being magical and suspected that he was more pissed off about that fact that he himself was only mortal. And the fact that he felt that he could come in after all of these years and just him was even more aggrivating. They made no eye contact as they dressed.   
  
The silence was broken when Victor noticed the small scar on Leo's otherwise perfect chest and asked him where he had gotten it. Being an overprotective father he assumed that his future son in law was a hoodlum who had gotten himself shot. Leo couldn't meet his gaze as he said that it was from a year ago. "My best friend went crazy and shot Piper and me. That was when I gave her a promise ring. I was sure that I was going ot lose her." Victor looked over at him a bit surprised, "Why did he shoot you guys? It must have had some trigger." Leo shook his head at the guys resolve to see the bad in the situation, "Well he'd apparently had a crush on her for some time and then realised that he couldn't have her. He said that she should have been his and not mine." VIctor though refused to let the subject drop, "Where were you when it happened?" Leo was staring to lose his cool, what with the raw nerves of a the important day and the fact that Victor was totally out of line. With an edge to his voice he said, "We were on a beautiful picnic that took me weeks to plan and on our six year anniversary. And when he showed up the day went to hell which is where you can go if you think that your constant badgering or distrust of me is going to keep me from marrying your daughter today! Nothing can keep me from her; not evil best friends or the elders or least of all you! This is the most important day of my life and while I would wish for support from everyone I know that I wont get it and therefore can only hope that this day goes of withourt a hitch for Piper's sake. Because I love her more than even I understand and know that if anything went wrong it would devistate her! So please at least pretend to like me, for her sake because she deserves this and no relative off of the street can take it from her." Victor looked furious but seemed to hold back his anger and look Leo right square in the eyes, seeing something familiar in them. Seeing the furosity of love and finally seeing something respectable in the disguisting world of guardian angels, "You know what!!! Maybe I could get used to having a whitelighter as a son in law." The relief in Leo's eyes was obvious and when Prue checked on them, Victor was tieing Leo's tie for him. And one more obstacle of the day was over with.  
  
As Piper's sisters left, she got a chance to get out of bed and move towards her closet. What she found there made her laugh, she saw that Leo had arranged the remaing flower petals to say I Heart U. She sat down next to the collage, letting the flower petals go through her fingers and feeling love for the man who had done such a tender thing. When Prue came in to whisk her away for a nice bubble bath she sighed and left the beautiful sight. But as she sat soaking in the tub, she thought of him with a smile and the smile was ruined as she thought about the day to come, so many people to deal with. She hadn't wanted a big wedding but they knew that it was their best option; the Elders would never try anything in front of all of those mortals, they were too afraid of exposure. At the thought of the Elders she felt that familiar knot of worry in her stomach, above anything else she feared that they would try and interfere. They had made it very clear that they did not approve of whitelighters and witches being together and even though, at the moment, they were safe form the elders' control; what would happen when Leo turned 18 and became a full fledged whitelighter? Then they could forbid the two from being together. She worried, because the fact was that they could be married and still be seperated. It wasn't fair but she knew that she could still lose him. As she got out of the tub and into her bath rob she decided not to worry about that today, and she tried to concentrate only on her hair curlers which she put in before going into the hall. She saw him in the hallway, looking so handsome and familiar. "What are you doing here?" She asked him, "You know its bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding!" And she tried to sound like she meant it but he knew that she couldn't think of anywhere else in the world that she wanted him to be. He knew what she needed more then anything else at the moment and provided, he pulled her into his loving embrace and protested, "But your not even in your dress." She looked up at him and smiled, "I love you." He smiled down at her and gently kissed her pulling away after a moment to say, "I had a feeling." She laughed, locking eyes with the man she loved, "I guess I was wrong, I always thought that I was being so subtle!" He stared into her eyes and simply smiled, and they remained that way until Phoebe came down the hall and acted apalled at their behavior, "At least wait until the wedding night! Come on sis, you need to get dressed. And Leo, Grams needs you down stairs." They both said "Okay," and Leo gave Piper a sweet little kiss on the forehead before walking away. She watched him leave for a moment before letting Phoebe drag her away.  
  
She put on her make up changed into her mother's wedding gown then took our the curlers. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered how her mother had felt in this very position. Picking up the picture on her dresser, she stared into her mother's face. She saw the face of a women getting married to the man standing next to her and saw the mutual love on their faces. This wasn't the man that she had recently met, he was much younger , much happier. And she wondered if he still felt that love that was so apparent on his face. She wondered if he ever regretted getting married or if he ever missed Patti the way that Piper did. Of course Piper barely remembered her but the image on her nightstand had provided over the years a sort of companion. She would talk to the picture about her day and would imagine that she herself was the women in the picture. And the memory of her mother's face had grown stronger by this simple ritual, even if it was only a picture. And now, as she fixed her hair in the same way that Patti had on that ancient day and tried to see that women in the picture. But all that she saw was a seventeen year old girl playing dressup and pretending to be old enough to wed. With a sigh, she put on her earrings and looked over at another picture she kept on her nightstand. It was a picture from more than a year before, months before their fateful anniversary. The picture showed Leo and Piper, locked in an embrace with their eyes looking lovingly into one anothers and what Piper saw was her future. She still couldn't help but see the same loving look in the picture from her parents wedding, the ceremony that began a failed marriage, and she wondered if she was setting herself up for heart break. "You look so much like her." She heard a voice behind her say and spun around to see Victor watching her form the doorway. "You scared me," she replied and wondered how long he had been standing there. He walked forward and picked up the picture that she had been staring at. "I remember this picture, god I loved your mother so much."  
  
"But it still didn't work." She replied sadly, remembering the night that her father left the family for good.  
  
"No it didn't but that has nothing to do with you and Leo. I couldn't handle your mothers magical legacy, or yours, and that is why I left. But Leo... well you don't have to worry about that. Because, as much as I loth and despise whitelighters, I know tha the can take care of you in the way that I could never take care of her. And he loves you."  
  
"But we are so young!"  
  
"And that will cause a problem at first but.. well you can't let that stop you from following your heart." He said as he looked at her, his baby girl, still in disbelief at the day ahead. She was getting married! And as he looked he swore that he saw Patti standing in front of them, and spoke to his daughter as though she were really her mother, "Don't let that cautious side keep you from happiness. Its not the only part of you, you know. You are also a Halliwell which means that you got that fearless, stubborn gene that drives most people crazy. And that is the side that you need right now, otherwise you may let you worries trick you into making a mistacke that you will regreat until your as old as me!" They both laughed and Piper hugged her father, relieved that he didn't regret getting married and she decided to take his advice and act more like Phoebe, the fearless Halliwell. And as she started to feel calm, the music started downstairs and she panicked again, knowing that their time had come, "I almost forgot that I had a point for coming up here, its time to take that long walk." She sighed and let him lead her to the top of the staircase where they awaited the procession to end and their walk to begin. Now the time had finally come, and she had never felt her heart beat faster.  
  
She let Victor lead her down the steps and into the parler, afraid that she would just wonder off if not being led. And as she reached the bottom of the stairs her nerves jumped when every head in the house turned to face her. She felt like a nervous kid who was being forced to perform in front of their parents friends. Only in this case she didn't have to do anything more then walk and that mere act was seemingly more then she could handle.Then she saw him around the bend and she stared into his beautiful eyes and found the strength that she needed to continue, to forget the people. When Prue saw her sister she held back a gasp, she saw a women there before her, nervous at first but a women all the same. Then she watched as her sister instantly seem to find serenity and she looked so much older then her 17 years. And she wondered why her sister's attitude had suddenly changed. It was because when their eyes locked, all she saw was him and his understanding and love. She could feel him urge her to go on and could see all of her own emotions reflected in his eyes. She kept her eyes sternly focused on his and was therefore in a state of strength by the time she stood across from him. And they breathed together facing their last moments before being united in holy matrimony. And they didn't even listen as Penny, the High Priestess, conducted the ceremony. They just kept their eyes locked together until she got their attention and the time had come for their vows. It was Leo's turn first and he took a deep breath before he began. He looked into her eyes and found his voice before he started his promise to her.   
  
"Piper, it has been seven years since we met and it feels like just yesterday or sometimes a lifetime ago. And some days I can look at you and till see that shy girl who grabbed my attention from the first day I moved to the city. But most of the times I look at you and can hardly imagine that you could ever be that person. Because in those years you have grown and learned and I have fallen so far in love with you that there are times when I forget that there is anyone else in the world. And as I learned to function as a person, I had you there to learn and grow with. I cannot imagine having made it through those years without and and cannot imagine facing whats to come without you. Because you have become a part of me, like an arm or a leg or vision or hearing. And without you I could never be whole. And as we wed today I promise that I will never willingly leave your side and that as our life together begins that I will take care of you when you need me, back away when you can do it yourself and I will never lose faith in what we have. Piper, from this day forward, all I am is yours." Piper smiled lovingly at him before starting her own promise to him.  
  
"Leo, ever since the first time I saw you I have been finding myself turing around to see who you were talking to. There were times when I would find myself baffled that such a pure and beautiful and loving person could ever love me, but you do. And ever since that day I have loved you, you made me believe in love at first sight. Even though it took me too long to admit it to you, I have always loved you. And over these many years I have found that as long as I have you I can do anything. Just being near you makes me forget that I have any imperfections. And since you found me under that tree, drawing on my jeans, I have been wrapped in your love from morning until night. And that morning, when you carried me from my room so we could meet the sunrise together I have known that the safety of you arms is enough to keep me from waking up to reality whenever I need to be in a dream. And I promise to stay in the safety of your arms for as long as I am able, to love you from this moment on as your wife, as my husband, my lover, my friend. Leo, I was born to love you and I always will."  
  
No one was completely dry eyed as the two placed rings on each others fingers and finally shared a long awaited kiss, and as soon as their lips met they knew. They knew that life couldn't be so bad, they knew that this real world they had been hearing so much about couldn't hurt them if a kiss could mean so much. They pulled away with beaming smiles and turned to face their family and friends, holding hands as Penny said bitterly, "May I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Wyatt." It was obvoius that she still wished her grandaughter had listened to her about taking her husbands name. But she got the Halliwell Stubborn streak that no women should be without and made it clear that she wanted to start a new tradition. And after photos were taken, when the rest of the group filed into the backyard for the reception the new family was left alone for a moment and they went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes for the next phase of the event. With the door of her bedroom shut, she removed her wedding dress and tenderly folded it before changing into a summery pink one and a pair of matchin gslip on shoes. Leo pretended not to watch her as he removed his jacket and took off his tie. And as she stood staring at her new ring he gently walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, resting his head lightly on her soft shoulder. For a moment the stood like that before she said quietly and almost disbelievingly, "We did it." He said "Yes we did," and gently turned her around so that she was facing him. He looked into her eyes for a moment, trying to see what she was feeling but all that he saw was the same bliss that he felt and so he kissed her again, he kissed his wife. And when he thought this it sent a tingle up and down his spine, his wife, and reality sunk in. He hugged her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her, "we did it!" she laughed with him happily before he set her down and their eyes met. "Race you to the reception," they both said and took off, meeting with their loved ones.   
  
The reception went by as a blur to Piper and Leo who just wanted to be on their way to their honeymoon in San Diego. They got seperated by differant people and barely saw each other, they talked to people and mingled until Prue stood up on a chair with her glass of sparkling cider. "May I have your attention please? Thank you, I am Prue the bride's oldest sister and one of the maids of honor and I just wanted to say a few things to the newlyweds before we all start dacing the night away." She cleared her throat and looked to the couple who were moving towards each other while everyone found a seat. They were eventually seated near Prue's make shift stage and with his arm around Piper, Leo gave his full attention to his new sister in law. "Thank you, now I know the main thought on everyones mind today revolves around the fact that neither the bride or groom is even allowed to vote yet. But the truth is that this should not come as a shock to anyone. Because the fact is that these two have been married for years!!! They have never been apart for more then a week since they met, and they revolve their lives around each other. You can't think of one without thinking of the other and they are the most mature kids I have ever known. And because of all the things I know that someday I will be toasting at your 50th anniversary someday and I wish the two of you a world of happiness. Now I know we all want to get going but there are a few other people who can't help but get their two cents in!" And she blew a kiss at PIper who just smiled before giving the "stage" to Phoebe. Phoebe looked over at the couple as well and began, "I don't know what I can say to you guys on such on amazing day! Leo, you are like the brother that I never had and Piper you were always the voice of reason that kept Prue and I from killing each other. And I want you two to be so happy that you can barely stand it! And congradulations, I don't know anyone who deserves this more." She gave a little wave before giving the stage over to Andy. Andy looked from Prue to PIper and Leo, keeping his gaze on the couple. "Well I don't know how to follow that! But I know that, as best man, I have to so I'll try. Leo, Piper, I have watched you two grow up together and have always been amazed by how long you managed to stay together. And you never followed the typical High School relationship, otherwise known as the on again off again. You were so stable that you gave us all faith in what love could be." He paused for a moment before continuing, "And you guys were always so perfect that it seemed like nothing bad could ever happen to you. But it did," He said, touching upon the topic that no one had dared mention, "but you made it through, and came out of it better then before. And if you can make something so awful into something as beautiful as today then I know that you can make the beautiful love you share into something amazing. So I wish you guys the strength to overcome any obstacles that you encounter, but I know that I don't have to because you will. Thank you." He stepped down and everyone was quiet for a moment as Andy walked over to give the newlyweds a hug. Then finally Victor stepped forth for his speech.   
  
"My little girl is getting married! And even though I have only just entered back into you life Piper I can only look over at the two of you to see that you have found someone who can give you everything. And I see you today and see the beautiful women that has become of my shy little Piper. You are the best person that I could have ever dreamed that you would become and I hope to someday say that I know you as well as Leo does. Take care of her Leo, like I know you will. I love you honey." He said and looked at her for a moment before fading back into the crowd. Then Penny gave someone the video camera she had been holding and made her speech. "Unlike many I am not in the least bit surprised in what is happening today. Because in all of my many infamous marriages, I never saw such love as these two shared before they even hit puberty. And Leo has become a part of our family, even though it is only being made official today. He has always been as involved with the rest of the family as with Piper. I mean, most of my husbands couldn't even get my grandaughters names right whereas Leo knows almost as much about them as I do, If not more. He has been the best possible influence on this family and especially my middle grandaugter, the one who is now his wife. He has helped her become the woman that she is and I will always have a place for in my heart because of that. And even though you are now both Wyatts, despite my protests, I want you to know that you will both always be apart of the Halliwell family. You are today starting on a life that I know will be filled with beauty and love and I am so happy for you. But just remember that being married doesn't make you guys any older. You are still the children that you need to be and can still lean on your family when you need us. You guys are entering the prime of your lives with a partner through thick and thin but you are still young and alive, dont forget that or try to be older then you really are because you can't chabge yourself to accomodate marriage. And I know that you won't, and I wish you guys the happiness that you crave as well as the ability to handle the craziness of life. Good luck my darlings, I love you both." And with that final tone came the obvious end of speeches and Penny added, "And now, your chariot awaits." And the two were suddenly being led out to the Limo that awaited them. And with amazement they found themselves on their way to San Diego, to their honeymoon.  
  
Neither of them spoke much as they drove, just sat in comfortable silence as they made their way to the airport. Piper lay her head in Leo's lap and he stroked her hair gently for a moment before moving his hand to softly caress her face with such tenderness that she couldn't help but smile. After about half an hour she rolled over onto her back and stared up at him with a look on her face that he couldn't quite interpret. He just kept on stroking her long hair and looking into her eyes for a few minutes before asking, "Whatcha thinkin' about, sweet heart?" She was silent for a moment before saying, "I was just thinking about how much I love you." He didn't believe her and she knew it so she sighed and admitted, "I'm just worried." He looked concerned and asked, "About what?" She looked at his face and said, "I'm just afraid that 'they' are still going to take you away from me." Almost relieved by her reply he answered, "Don't worry about that baby, 'they' won't, they can't" And she believed him. She smiled and sat up meeting her lips with his. She pulled away with a smile and said, "Why, Mr. Wyatt you surely can kiss." He smiled too and said playfully, "Oh Mrs. Wyatt, I have only begun to show you how well I can kiss." And he lowered her gently to the soft leather seat and kissed her again, longer and more passionately then ever before. And as the limo pulled into the airport they gathered themselves, unable to wait until they could truly begin their honeymoon.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity they arrived in San Diego. And as together they got their bags and car and found out where their hotel was, they could feel their senses tingle. Using a map they had bought at the airport they found their way to their hotel in the jeep they had rented. They checked into the honeymoon sweet and paid the busboy a tip before putting their "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Without bothering to unpack they kissed again and made their way to the bed. He stroked her hair and removed her dress to meet the familiar sight of her beautiful body. She unbuttoned his shirt and found his masculine chest. She then moved on to unbutton and unzip his pants still kissing him with all of her might. She pulled a condom out of the pocket of his pants before pulling them off completely and settling back into the mattress where they stayed until morning. 


	6. Honeymoon

Piper awoke at 8:37 the next morning to find the San Diego sunshine rolling in and her husband's arms around her. She smiled at their discarded clothes littering the floor and got out of bed without waking him. She found his shirt and her own panties, putting them on just to feel clothed before walking over to the phone to do something they had forgotten to do the night before, call her family and let them know that they had gotten there all right. She sat in bed next to his sleeping form and dialed the number. She heard three rings before Prue answered. "Hey Prue it's me." She whispered into the phone. On the other line Prue responded with, "What's up?" obviously surprised that she was calling, "I just wanted to let you guys know that we got here all right. We would have called last night but we were umm… busy." Prue laughed and asked, "How was it?" Piper grew a bit embarrassed and said, "Oh come on Prue! It's not like we've never had sex before." To which Prue responded, "Yeah but…" And Piper said, "It was great. So anything happen after we left?" Prue was telling her no when Piper hears Leo stir and find Piper's side of the bed empty. Prue heard Leo's voice saying her sister's name before Piper said goodbye. Leo saw Piper sitting semi- dressed on the opposite side of him and smiled. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She replied to this by saying, "You know, we're going to be here almost two weeks and we should eventually leave this room, unpack, eat." He looked into her eyes with a smile and said, "Not today. I'm only hungry for you!" And admitting defeat, she kissed him and fell back into bed.   
  
By noon though they were starving, for food. They hadn't eaten since the day before and decided to get dressed and go downstairs for lunch. In her bag she found a pair of jeans and a blue tank top and he found a pair of jeans and gray top. When they were both showered and dressed they made their way to the hotel's restaurant. They were seated at a table for two and given menus. As they read their food choices, Piper rubbed her leg under the table against his. Meeting her eyes, he smiled and suddenly noticed the waiter. They ordered drinks and mulled over their menus. Eventually they ordered sandwiches and talked while they waited, holding hands on the table. He stared into her eyes as she spoke and watched the way that she moved her hair away from her face, the way that she gently stroked his hand with her finger and it all drove him crazy. They both ate as fast as they could and charged their meal to the room. She took his hand and guided him through the hotel to the elevator before she stopped. "We should go somewhere." She said to him, "how about back to the room." he suggested. She shook her head and led him towards the lobby he followed, confused. 'Where are we going?" he asked and she didn't answer just asked the valet to get their car.  
  
As they waited for the valet Piper began to quiver with excitement. For the very first time she felt completely carefree and untamed. She had absolutely no plan for the next event in the sequence of her usually perfectly structured day. She wanted to do something that was as crazy and daring as she felt that moment. She was determined to find a way to make sure that neither she nor her husband would ever forget this day. And when the valet finally came she had a sudden inspiration and told a very confused Leo to wait for her in the car. So anxiously he waited for what seemed like forever as she spoke with the burly, tattooed, somewhat intimidating man and silently wondered if she had lost her mind. He had never seen such electric and intoxicating energy as he saw when she made her way to the driver's seat with an oddly satisfied smile. Astonished, he simply stared at her as she turned to him with a passionate and determined smile. She opened her mouth to speak and out came a sequence of words that he was sure would never come out of her mouth. "Come on baby! We are going to do something wild! Are you with me?" TO which he simply nodded hesitantly, knowing that he would do anything for her, but still afraid of what she may be planning. She laughed at his feeble acknowledgement of her words and said, "Well alright then! I know exactly what this honeymoon needs! Something to remind us of the amazing time we had in the sunnier part of California!" Smiling at her enthusiasm, he began to soak up her seductive energy and agreed more wholeheartedly. She was even more thrilled by his response and asked hungrily, "Are you ready to immortalize this day on your skin in ink? 'Cause that is what we're doin' and that is where we're goin' and honey it is going to be the most painfully extravagant thing that we have ever done! Are you with me babydoll?" She didn't have to wait long for a response and when he leaned across the seat to kiss her with the built up passion that had cultivated from the excitement of what they were planning she revved up the engine and they were off.  
  
Later that day, when they returned to the hotel, both were certainly more tired and in a bit more pain but the small tattoos of one another's name on their lower backs were starting to heal along with the tiny pink rose next to hers and the small angel next to his. They ordered in that night from room service and felt love merge with passionate energy as Piper finally took Leo's advice and they spent the night week within the confines of their hotel room. But as the honeymoon drew to a close they both began to think more and more about what would face them when they returned home. They talked about the things that neither of them had wanted to face before. They both knew that they would need to move away from home and face the real world. And, more importantly, they both knew that whatever that real world was it was not going to be a honeymoon in San Diego. So they talked through their decisions and what needed to be discussed and realized that only two nights were left of their honeymoon. With such limited time they left the room for the first time in a week.   
  
As the nighttime approached Piper got out of bed and dressed, forcing Leo to do the same. They made their way to the lobby and Piper once again called for the car, thanking the valet for recommending tattoo parlour. This time her energy seemed much more mellow and calm as they drove until hitting sand. She pulled a stolen hotel blanket from the car and lay it on the beach. She and Leo sat, as newlyweds, and watched the sun fall into the sea. Without words they observed the transition in the same comfortable silence that they depended on one another for. They simply watched together, one mass of body clinging together loosely. And as the sun reached its final stage of departure Piper whispered in Leo's ear her intentions of the unplanned excursion. "Leo," She began, "You dragged me to a beach for the sun's morning awakening and now I've brought you here to watch the same star in its ritual that ends the day. And do you want to know why? Because you showed me a day as it begun and now I have shown you how it ended. Because they are both beautiful and if the day can end as beautifully as it begins then maybe we can begin our lives together without fear that the end of them can pail in comparison to the beauty of when they began. But really all I wanted to say my darling is that I can't even comprehend how beautiful life would be if I could grow old with you. I love you, Leo." Without another word he delicately place his lips on hers, placing his fingers through her soft brown locks. And as the sun disappeared completely they just kissed, unafraid of the newfound darkness or the approaching black of night. Because at the end of this day they had each other and as they quietly walked back to the car Leo gently whispered, "I love you too Piper, more then you will ever know.So they returned to the hotel once again and spent the next two days exploring the city that they had thus far abandoned. They scoured through the somewat limited attractions and found the souvenirs they had promised to people back home. But by the end they were all packed and on a flight home. Dissapointed, they left behind their honeymoon but neither of them could deny that they were happy to be on their back to family and home again. They arrived at the San Francisco Airport to find that both of thier families were there waiting. After a happy reunion they had to relay the important message of their new living arrangements. Though Prue offered to give up her room they had to face theit decision and decline her offer. They had decided to stay at Leo's house until they found a place and they told Prue this. Ignoring the news the family chose to celebrate the homecoming and all went back to the Halliwell Manner for a wondeful meal. They talked and they laughed and that night the couple left with Leo's parentsand spent the night in Leo's childhood bedroom. They both slept soundly and awoke the next morning to face reality. 


	7. Home

When Piper first opened her eyes the next morningshe surveyed the room and found herself alone. She walked out of the room wearing one of Leo's long tshirts and found him in the kitchen eating breakfast. He had been peruosing through the classifieds while tensely eating a piece of toast when she arrived. And with her entrance he seemed to find relief. She bent down to give him a good morning kiss before taking the spot next to him and looking at the paper that he was marking. He had circled several choices but her attention was drawn more towards the toast the he was clenching in his fist. In her eyes she saw the frustration that they only held occasionally and she knew the probably cause. She took the toast from his hand, setting it back on the plate and gently guided his chin so that his eyes were looking directly into hers and asked, "Sweetheary, what have they done now?" Smiling for a split second at how well she knew him he sighed and placed his head in his hands. "It's just their whole attitude! I mean, my gos, they are my parents! And first they barely come to the wedding and tense up whenever I mention you then they get all tighlipped when I ask if we can stay here. Then this morning before my dad orbed out he mentioned something about how I should enjoy it while it lasts. I am just so scared that they are going to do something! After all in a couple of weeks I'll be 18 and..." She placed a finger on his lips, quieting him with a soothing voice. She squeezed his handand locked eyes with him again, "Baby, they love you! And they want what they think is best for you!" Pausing a moment she continued,"And you know what else? They think that they have llost their son! You've always been a big part of the Halliwell family and now your leaving them to be a husband! Plus they are hearing about the perils of whitelighters and witched from the Elders. And they respect the elders especially in comparison to two teenagers. And you want to know the best part of this arrangement?" With a smile she said,"Soon we will be away form them!"At that thought he smiled. She continued to grin back at him giving him an excited kiss. But then she grew more sober and said,"Ready to deal with my family?" With a sigh he nodded, to be truthful, the Halliwell women often scared him.In Leo's car they arrived at the manner and approached Piper's childhood home. Holding hands, they walked up the steps and stopped, were they supposed to knock? They wondered and eventually they opened the door nervously, calling out to anyone home. Prue's and Gram's cars were both in the driveway so they guessed that everyone was home. Phoebe walked into the room to greet them, holding a halfeaten apple in her hand. She greeted them cheerfully and they smiled back at her brightly. They asked if she knew where the others were and her face fell slightly. She leaned forward secretivly to whisper, "they're in the kitchen but heads up Grams is feeling way hormonal!" Piper thanked her sister with a little laugh before treaded the ten feet that would take them to the kitchen. Not surprisingly they recieved a bit of cold shoulder, which Piper was expecting. Grams was always a bit overdramatic when it came to the girls seperating. And Piper had a feeling that Prue may have been resentful about the fact that she had stayed in San Francisco to go to college so that they coud be together and now Piper was leaving. And, expected all this, Piper already knew hwat she waneted to say when she entered. Piper asked for a moment of their time and they turned their heads towards her. With a glance towards Leo she began, "I know that you guys were hoping that we would live at home, but we jus tknew that this was a step that we had to take. Sooner or later it will happen and I'd rather it be sooner. Because, lets face it, there is not enough room for the five of us! Plus, with the tiny apartement we'll be able to afford I'll probably be as good as living here anyway! We'll be here constantly because you are our family but we have to start a new family two and we need to have a place of our own to do that." Less cold now, Penny borught up her main concern, "What if a demon attacks? I won't be there to protect you!" Expecting this Piper said, "Well, you aren't always around us right? So if I need you I can call you just like I would if you were at the hospital!" Knowing the she was being silly, Grams stood up and pulled her grandaughter into a hug. Prue smiled, sitting back, and watched the scene with mild interest. This reaction made Piper worry. Prue waited until she had her sister's panicked attention before she said, "It is so funny that suddenly we become the inlaws!" Watching Piper's reaction, she continued, "We don't need to be 'dealt with' Piper and you are still a part of this family!" Confused, Piper didn't know what to say. Prue kept going, "What I mean to say is that just because you have a new family now and are getting your own place that doesn't mean that you have to start knocking the door or callign before you stop by! It's not like we're, I don't know, Leo's family! No offense man." Nodding in aggreement at her statement he said, "She's got a point, hun." Piper smiled and hugged her big sister, saying, "thanks." They turned down an offer to stay for lunch and went off to explore apartment prospects.  
  
Within a week of searching they found a suitable place. It was between home and the campus and they rent was descent. The small apartment had one room, a small kitchen and some small that could become a livingroom and diningroom. Despite its minuit size it was perfect, of course a cardboard box would have been perfect but this was a step up. And within days they were moving in. On one day, they determinedly went their seperate ways to finish packing, once and for all. As Piper rooted through her collected junk she felt as though, by changing the items' placaement she was losing something. Like leaving behind the Halliwell manner was the final step towards become Wyatt rather than Halliwell. She smiled often, finding little reminders of the many years spent in her childhood bedroom. She seperated everything into what would go with her to the apartment, what would get stored in the basement and would would be given to a sister. Finding a picture of Leo among many others she wondered what he was doing. At that point he was basically done with boxing everything he owned. He had one box to her three and was left now with only abed, and an empty dresser and desk. He couldn't wait until he was away from this place and all the hostile tension it held. In fact he would have never turned back if not for the only person in the house he was speaking to, his little sister Lena. But at six years of age she was of little help. And that night, as the two spent one last night in their former homes he was left with a cold bed. He dreamt that night of her and the wonderful things that life would bring now that they were taking yet another step towards being together.  
  
On their first day in the new apartment they moved boxes until dinnertime and then set up their table which was really an old card table that Piper had found in the attic. And they invited Prue, Phoebe, Penny and Lena to enjoy a home ordered meal of Pizza and sodas. They ate, drank and laughed before the rest excused themselves and PIper and Leo were left alone. They set up Leo's bed in the bedroom first then unpacked a few boxes before undressing and climbing into bed, exhausted. But as Piper slowly drifted to sleep Leo found his own eyes opening. There in his arms she lay, her long dark hair trapped beneath her neck. He could feel the warmth of her body up against his and watched her sleep for a few minutes before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Conent, he slept the rest of the night without a single dream of life being better then it already was.  
  
They got settled in and before long found their summer coming to a close. With Leo's birthday coming closer and closer they both felt their hearts beat a bit faster, their breath came a bit shorter and they felt fear creep into their minds. They tried to deny it but neither of them were fooled by the other's act of bravery. At night Leo could hear his bridestir as her nightmares returned and her dreams grew more disturbing. He would awaken when she scream out his name in her sleep before her body would tremble with sobs. But what baffled Leo was that duting these dreams she never awoke. Well not actually never. Only once, when Leo had gotten up to get a glass of water and he heard her shout for him. She was sitting up in bed, searching for him as if afraid that she had lost him. He ran into their bedroom and comforted heruntil she fell back asleep . And long after she slept he lay awake in thought. Knowing that the up and coming chance at seperation was troubling her more then she let on. And he made a decision, an iron clad devotion that whatever happened he would never leave her side 


	8. Eighteen

Before long it was suddenly the day before his Eighteenth Birthday. Facing the possibility that within 24 hours his life would change left him with a knot in the pitt of his stomach. He woke up that morning like on any other day and kissed his wife. There was a thin layer of tension in the air when she asked him to run a few erronds. Looking at his list he glanced up at her and saw a secretive and playful look in her eye that he chose not to question. Giving her another kiss he took the car keys down to the parking garage and was off. He went to the bank, the grocery store, the pharmacy, the drug store and by the time he was done it was past two in the afternoon and he was finally able to return home. Before opening the door, he swore that he heard something but ignored it and fumbled around for his keys, carrying several bags. The first thing that struck him was how dark it was. He felt his way over to the dining room and dropped down all of his bags, calling out Piper's name as he turned on the light. The deafening shout of, "surprise," was almost enough to give him a heart attack. Exchanging a smile with Piper he saw that a large number of his family and friends had gathered to help him celebrate the event. She moved towards him and locked him into an embracewhispering in his ear, "Happy Birthday baby." Pulling her in for a quick kiss he turned to the crowd and began to celebrate. With the fun and excitement of the party he was even able to forget what turning 18 meant. But later that night, as all the partygoers left, he began to worry again. As he helped Piper clean up, he felt the lump reform and shook off his worry. He was determined to enjoy this night, because in the back of his mind he knew that it could be their last. But he refused to think that way as he carried his laughing and protesting love to a private celebration that carried them both into slumber.  
  
he next morning Leo awoke to Piper tracing the contours of his face with her soft touch. She delicated led her hand down his bare chest and sat straddled across his belly button. She leaned forward placing kisses from his forehead to his lips until finally he opened his eyes. In early morning amusement he caught her offguard by rolling them both until the were on her side and he was on top, pinning her down. Kissing her neck, he exclaimed, "What a way to wake up!" and she laughed pretneding to try and get out from under his hold. With laughter etched on his face he persisted until she finally cried for mercy. Out of breath, the both lay on their sides facing each other. Silent for a moment they just read each other's feelings. Staring into his hazel eyes Piper saw a deep happiness and contentment that was being chased by everpresent fear and determination. After a moment Piper spoke, "So how does it feel? To be an adult, I mean." Smiling he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair for a minute. Then moving his face near her ear, he placed his chin on her shoulder and whispered, "I feel as if life could not possible be better than this, Mrs. Wyatt." Turning so that their faces and bodies were only inches apart, she smiled. "So you don't want your presents?" Jokingly she waited for an answer and he replied, "You mean my gift isn't you?" Rolling her eyes lovingly she shook her head and pulled out several wrapped gifts from under the bed and placed them in from of him. Gently he motioned her to sit in his lap and there she remained while he opened his gifts. The last one was the one that was most signifigant to him. Obviously the work of much time and labor he looked upon a photo album with fancy letters on the front reading, "The First 18 Years of an Angel." He smiled as he opened the book to find pictures of himself from infancy to modern day including many of the two lovers together. "Do you like it?" She asked nervously and he smiled in amazement and nodded his head in a loss for words. "This is amazing Piper! Where did you get all of these pictures." Content in his happiness she replied, "Well.. I had most of them though I do admit I didn't do it alone. YOur sister helped me with most of the ones of you growing up. See proof that you have always been a heart throb." For the next hour they flipped through the pages and remonised about the wonderful years that he had spent on planet Earth. At quarter to eight they walked together to the kitchen, dressed comfortably, so that they could eat breakfast together. They both felt as if they needed to spend every minute possible together . And finally, at noon, Leo tensed up hearing the call that they had both been dreading. With a kiss shared that lingered on his face for long after he dissapeared in white lights to face "them."  
  
In a display of brilliant white lights he appeared before a council of Elders. "Leo Wyatt," One spoke in an odd tone. He wasn't asking necessarily or even stating it as a fact it was more as if he was addressing him. Not sure how to reply Leo simply said, "yes." Another one said to him in what appeared to be near amusment, "Don't look so frightened! YOu know why you'r here! It is a celebration! The tradition recieving of powers that all whitelighters undergo at age 18." Confused, he asked, "Is that the only reason that I'm here?" Browing more sober, an Elder answered, "no, but first things first." He watched as his parents walked into the room with Lena. He knew that this was part of the ceremony, but staring at his parents white robes and his sister's light blue ones he still didn't understand. Remaining silent he witnessed the ceremony almost from out of his body. As he was given white robes to match the ones that his parents wear, he felt a surge of power go through him and began ot hear voices. He recognised them as Prue's and Piper's and Phoebe's but couldn't make out what any of them were saying. And a familiar part of his heart was started to feel emotions that weren't his own, they were Piper's. Oddly it had always been there and he relied on it without realising it was even there. And now she was feeling panicked and helpless, he wanted to reach out to her, help her. He suddenly became aware that the entire room was watching him. And his mother was asking him, "Leo, whats wrong?"In reply, he asked ",Whats with all the chatter in my head?" A bit appalled they asked, "You can hear your charges allready?" Realising that this must have been abnormal he simply nodded, trying to gat a grip on the way his mind race. But the frenzied thoughts, he realized, weren't his they were his wifes. "Please, can we just get to the real reason that we are here? Piper needs me, I can feel her panick."" He begged and the Elders seemed to be completely taken aback by the request. "Go to her," one of them answered him, "We will call you back up here soon." Nodding, he concentrated on Piper and was orbed to her side. Looking up at him she searched his face for an answer. Starting to get a migraine, he told her that he didn't know anything yet and just took her in his arms. But before they even parted the same bright lights that brought him to her now carried them both to the heavens  
  
Instead of holding him in their previous embrace, Piper clutched Leo's hand as they appeared in a white room that reminded her of a mental institution only more holy and less welcoming. The cliché clouds and white Roman stuctures made her inwardly groan. Remaining silent, she recovered from the shock of the sudden orb while the Elders observed her. Leo placed a hand in the small of her back to support her as if she were on the verge of tipping over. But as she got her barrings reality hit and she knew that it was time to face their forbidden relationship. Clearing his throat, one Elder began, "We have called you here to discuss the matter at hand." There was a short moment of silence before the Eldest nearest them noticed their choices in clothing, they both wore tshirts and shorts which were typical of a summer of Earth but not quite as normal for a stiff and ordered meeting in the heavens. "Amy!" The Elder called to what was apparently a door and a women came in looking somewhat harried. "Yes," She responded and the Elder looked over at the couple and said, "Please get these two into more... respectable attire." And they were led into seperate rooms to change. Leo wore his new whitelighter robes and Piper was given Purple ones, much like the ones that Lena had worn. When they returned, both felt as if they were on trial as the Elders prestned their cases. They explained and numbered the rules that had been broken by the secret nuptuals and kept hinting towards the fact that Leo should have known better due to his upbringing. They seemed to be somewhat bitter towards Leo's parents though he couldn't figure out why. And then the time finally came when they were able to speak. They asked Leo about his power, "You say that you can hear the voices of your charges? To what degree?" Leo responded, "Well, I can hear that Prue is having an arguement with someone, most likely Phoebe,. They both sound angry and confused. I know that they are both worried about something and anxious to know an answer." Simply nodding they asked, "And why do you think that you have this power?" Considering this he repiled, "Because I love them as if they were my own sisters." Not showing any sign of caring they continued, "And you say that you have been able to tell PIper's emotions before this? How?" Looking at Piper he said, "Through her eyes. I've onyl ever had to look into them to know exactly what she needs or wants or feels... Now with my new power I feel as if I am always looking into her eyes with the exeption of the reflection I always see of myself whenever I see her."  
  
The two met eyes and silently locked in their sight staring into each other's eyes. They had almost forgotten where they were, when suddenly an Elder pulled them out of their happy little scenario. They turned to face their judges but couldn't help sneaking glances. The ancient council never show any sign of acknowledging any of this but watched, observing their behavior and making their own impressions and decisions. Leo grew extremely tense as he listened closely to the voices inside his head. They were calling his name and less vocally, they were crying out to him, though not for his sake but more for the sister that they couldn't find. "Please. Can we wrap this up? Her sisters are panicked and they are calling me. I need to tell them that Piper is all right." Looking towards Piper an Elder made an announcement, "You may go. We would like to speak with Piper alone for a moment anyway." He met her eyes, not sure if she would be all right alone. But Piper squeezed his hand and said, "I'll be fine Leo, go ahead." With a final strengthening glance, he left and she was alone with the ones whom she had come to see as the worst people on the planet. Facing them she saw silly little kids in Halloween costumes that threw a fit when they didn't get what they wanted. She saw children who wanted to control every aspect of life.  
  
But most frighteningly she saw that these adolescents that she saw had the power to take away any part of her life. And no matter how much she ridiculed them in her mind or made their images less intimidating, they still left her terrified. But she put on a brave face and crossed her arms, not ready to give up what she knew was the best thing that could ever happen to her. So she waited and faced the inevitable defense that she would have to make about her marriage and its validity. All eyes were on her and she knew it but didn't see any of them. She saw Leo, on their wedding day, giving her strength to walk down the aisle and she just pictured his eyes and was able to feel only her love for him. And then the intimidation was over and she was ready to fight. "Before you start a speech about rules or start asking my questions that I think are totally irrelevant, I want one answer. Why is this union so forbidden?"   
  
No answer came quickly; it was a full minute at least before any one spoke. "Why the law was begun is no longer clear but in this case this law is not all that is working against this supposed 'union'. As a charmed one you are destined to save many lives and do much good. And we cannot have history repeating itself and claiming you before your destiny can be fulfilled. And by having anything to distract you from reaching your full potential as a witch, or that can distract you at a crucial moment in a vanquish risks creating a window of opportunity too large. And these things are what whitelighters are meant to stop. But having him there, in a situation that compromised judgement could be fatal, makes him more threat then help. Because both of your judgments while be based on your feelings for one another, this intense love that you share. And precious lives could be lost due to a moments hesitancy."   
  
Shocked, Piper was speechless for a moment. "Never before has Leo ever been a problem when it came to witchcraft. He understands the risks and is one of the only ones in the world who can. No other man that I marry could ever accept my destiny as he can. And even if they could, never would they be able to stay as levelheaded and calm as he can be when it comes time for his wife to go risk her life. And you are right; he does love me and would never want anything to happen to me which is why he has been forcing me to train with him since we were 13. Thanks to him, I have complete control over my powers and thanks to me he knows how to make a proper potion or write a spell that works. And no matter what innocents have always and will always come first." Seeing that Piper was finished that same Elder replied, "You say that now. And even believe it I'm sure. And I cannot deny that in fact you are a better witch because of it. But in that split second, when your decisions are made, your need to protect each other can cause you to make choices that you otherwise would not made. And these decisions could have consequences that are irreversible. History shows that when guardian angels fall in love they fall prey to curses of humanity and lose all judgement. And that when a witch falls in love they fall prey to the blurring of lines and the loss of reason and restraint. It is in a witch's nature to protect especially those they love. And it is a whitelighter's job to be rational and to guide. And logically you would both know what needed to be done and would want to protect the greater good, but love leaves logic behind. Eventually, it would be your love that got you or your sisters or an innocent, killed."   
  
Piper couldn't deny this logic but one part of it was bothering her, "How would my death be a repetition of history?" Glancing around the woman said, "you would be following exactly in your mother's footsteps. She too fell in love with her whitelighter and she too was determined not to let it effect her job. But it did and she was distracted at the wrong time. She only turned her back on the demon long enough to freeze him and gave him the perfect chance to take over her body, drown her from the inside. And Sam, her whitelighter, almost went with her. He was so torn with grief that he almost made the mistake of letting the demon take him too. And he may as well have died. Immediately he turned his back on his previous life and never forgave himself. Piper, when it happened to her it was a tragedy, but if it were to happen to you and sever the charmed line that would be more then the magical community to handle, you and your sisters are the answer to hundreds of years of prayer." Silence took over once more as Piper considered this. "I understand what you are saying. And I realize the risks and loss that has already occurred from a whitelighter- witch union. But, the bottom line is that I am not my mother. And Leo is not Sam. Leo is the best possible whitelighter that you could ever assign to us and not just because he is pure blooded or because he is amazing at what he does or even because he loves us. But he is the best possible whitelighter because he knows everything about us, about our lives and our craft. And he is naturally the most caring, nurturing, and logical person that I have ever known. He knows just what to tell Phoebe when she is worried that the demon we are facing will be too powerful or what to tell Prue when she starts to think that Phoebe must be adopted from another planet and will never be a normal human being. He knows exactly what it is that makes us powerful, makes us vulnerable and he knows what to do to help. And he knows that at some point this job will kill us and that we may follow family tradition and die young but he never loses hope. And never lets us give up or be afraid to fight for all that the Charmed Ones are and what they can be. And most importantly he knows that when magic is involved nothing can be taken personally. And he is always careful not to interfere with a vanquish. He knows his job and also mine and is just there when we need him, when he needs to play whitelighter."   
  
Considering all of this the Elder asked her one final question, "Would you be prepared to be a whitelighter's wife? You understand that you would always come second to his work, and that he would be gone at all hours of the day and night, or even for days at a time. And are you prepared to take the solitary burden for your household and life and whatever comes. Do you understand that he can tell you nothing of his day or share everything with you as he does now? Can you accept the fact that your life together changes from this point forward? He will not always be there when you need him and may have to act professional and impersonal. Can you handle many cold nights alone and waking up to an empty bed as frequently as not. Would you be prepared to be simply a charmed one who is married to her whitelighter?" She considered all of this for a very long moment. All of these things had occurred to her before and she had sometimes wondered what she was getting herself into but then she just remembered looking up from another lonely lunch period and seeing him standing there. And she knew that as long as she remembered that image of him there, looking so shy and sincere that she could remember the other times over many years that he had saved her and she would do anything or wait as long as it took. She owed it to him, to sacrifice those small luxuries that they could never have because she knew that life with him no matter the circumstance was all she could ever hope for. So she infused her answer with all the strength that he always gave her and said a simple, "yes, " with no fear and no hesitation. And the Elder saw determination that could not be faltered by lifestyle and began to think that they had underestimated the strength of the quiet charmed sister. And she firmly believed that Piper could do what her mother had failed to do. Won over the Elder asked her to step outside while they discussed their decision and called Leo up.  
  
Leo had been calming her sisters while this happened. Nursing a slap mark on his face he tried to explain the situation. When they saw him they had expected him to go into a bid apology that would explain where he had been and then help them find his missing wife. But Leo had made the mistake of saying, "Its not like we've been gone that long guys! And you know how important this day is for us!" That was about when Phoebe slapped him. "We?" She had then asked angrily. "Yeah, the Elders ended up calling Piper up too. She is up there right now. They wanted to talk with her alone! What is wrong with you guys? It takes more then a couple of hours to…" At this point Phoebe looked beyond pissed and Prue got a concerned look. "Leo it has been almost two days now! We came over the afternoon of your birthday, to see if you were back or if Piper wanted company and she was gone with no trace. We tried to scry for her but that didn't work. And the book has been no help! We've been going out of our minds!" Suddenly their actions made sense. "I am so sorry. It only seemed like a couple of hours at most up there. I guess that time moves a little bit differently. But don't worry your sister is safe, mostly." Phoebe was calming down now and Prue had kicked into full on maternal mode. She led Leo over to the couch and said, "Your worried, aren't you?" He sighed and said, "Yeah, I mean we weren't really wowing 'em. I don't know what they'll do. They can't really force us to break up but they could move me to some other part of the country or reassign you guys or… they could just do anything they wanted really." Prue comforted him, embracing the rare chance. Leo rarely showed a weak side, ironic considering the fact that most saw him as a pushover. But when it came to Piper he was stronger then even he could explain. Sitting in silence he focused on Piper and felt her emotions, could almost read her mind. She needed more time, and he would give it to her. He wandered around the manner, driving his sisters- in- law insane until finally falling asleep on the couch. It had been a long day for him and he needed the rest. But the uneasy sleep was filled with nightmares of what could happen to his beautiful bride. Because in sleep rationality takes no effect and the fact that the Elders would never harm someone whom fulfilled a prophecy didn't play a key role in his subconscious logic. And by the next morning he was barely better off then before he had fallen asleep. Because on top of nightmares was the fact that he could no longer fall asleep without her. The feeling of her warmth on his skin had become too familiar and without it he found himself facing sudden insomnia. But he didn't have to wait long, because not long after he awoke they called him. He changed into the robes that he'd heard Phoebe mock and told them where he was going before he left.   
  
He had orbed himself to Piper and had found her waiting in the hallway outside of the door. He took her into his arms and kissed her, as he had been wanting to do since he last saw her. Pulling away with a confused smile she asked, "what did my sisters want?" Brushing her hair away from her face he said, "Their worried sweetheart. Time moves differently up here. So it had actually been two days down there and they couldn't find you." Still confused, she asked, "So how long has it been since you left?" Thinking about this he answered, "well it was probably 16 hours or so." And now she understood. Trying to read her expression wasn't helping so he asked her flat out how it had gone. "Well, there are some things that we really need to talk about when we get home but I think that things may go in our favor. I mean they can't really do anything to us. They are just worried about the effects of our relationship," she said to him thinking over what the elders had told her. He just nodded, acknowledging her needs, "We'll talk later, I promise." And at this point it was time to meet the elders. They were escorting back into the room were the elders presided. "We have come to a decision. Obviously, as you know, a holy union is something that we cannot fight and therefore cannot break apart. However this relationship must not interfere with the destiny of the charmed ones. Leo, you are to begin whitelighter training in one week and must also spend one day a week training all three witches." One elder explained then the woman from before continued more gently, "Piper, you have proven to most of us that you are strong enough to face what is to come. But remember that your sisters are always there and you should go to them whenever possible. You must strengthen your bond together and must remember everything that I told you today. From this point on life is going to be a lot more tough and you will go through more struggles then most newlyweds could handle. But hopefully you can make this work and to the detriment of no innocents. Because if your legacy suffers for this marriage we will be forced to act. Nothing can get in the way of the Charmed Ones fulfilling destiny. And if anything does so then we will be forced to take severe action. Now study hard because soon you will be called to act as a charmed one. And mistakes are not acceptable." Not sure whether to celebrate or freak out, they orbed to the manner and found Grams serving dinner. Everyone looked at them expectantly. "What did they say?" Phoebe asked. Piper thought for a moment before answering, "I'm not really sure. They said that they couldn't do anything about us being married but if anything comes in the way of my charmed duties or whatever that there would be 'severe action.' Oh and sorry guys but you have to train with Leo and I once a week now. And soon he starts his whitelighter training." Taking it all in, Penny asked about college. "I guess that I'm not going. They made it clear that I have no choice," was Leo's response. And Piper knew what this meant for her and she made a decision that she had been thinking about for quite some time now. "And I think that I am going to skip college and try to get a job as a chef. Leo is going to be gone most of the day and often so I need something that I love and can do in the meantime. Plus we could use the money." No one was sure how to take this but Leo was first to congratulate her, followed by the others. And her words sunk in as he realized the life that she was taking on for him. And suddenly he was really glad for her choice. She deserved more then anyone to be happy.  
  
The couple accepted Gram's offer to stay for dinner and ate, telling more details about their little trip. Piper left out a few key details, which she wanted to discuss with Leo in private. They also decided on a schedule for training, which they would do in the basement. Leo would help them practice their powers and would simulate fighting like he had always done with Piper but on top of that Phoebe offered to teach her sisters the art of tae kwan doe which she had been learning for several years now. And their first session would take place 3 days from then. And once the family dinner was over, they were able to go home for the rest that they so desperately needed. They orbed over to the apartment and wandered slowly into their room. Without speaking they changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. But neither of them could sleep. This was their last week together before training started and he was gone all of the time. So they lay stationary just enjoying each other's presence. Comforted by his hold on her, Piper tried her best to feel content but her mind kept plaguing her with little snippets of the words that she had heard that day. She thought of her mother and the fact that somehow she had managed to produce an offspring that would follow completely in her own footsteps. And truth be told, while she had others been comforted by the idea of being like her mother, now it terrified her. Because Piper had always been able to sense that her mother wasn't really happy. She put on a big show and no one really knew, and Piper had been far too young to be of any help. But more then anything else she feared that her marriage would crumble and she would lose him. Because she knew how hard this relationship would be to maintain and that she would be carrying most of that burden. Something that she would willingly do but she didn't know if she had the strength to do it, to be second best in the view of the most important person in her life. But slowly these fears all became unimportant as she drifted off into sleep. Her last conscious thought was of how much she would miss him.   
  
The next morning Piper woke up first to find the sun streaming in through the window and the alarm clock with the little hand on the nine. She could still feel his arm where it lay, across her hip and onto her stomach. But she got out from under his hold so that she could sit up and see him. Watching him sleep, she observed his features, trying to memorize them and print them on stone in her memory. She noticed the way that his dirty blond hair was always lumped to when side when he first woke up and the way that his face always smelt of shaving cream. Pulling the covers off him gently she admired his buff body and traced the lines of his chest with her fingers. Staring into his face she tried to notice every line and feature that gave him his handsome physique. She let her hand caress his sleeping form, then trailed it down his neck and chest all the way to his belly button. Reaching his boxers, she traced her finger around the top for a moment before she adjusted her position to lay her head on his chest. She listened to his heart beating for a long while before he awoke and realized that she was awake too. Wordlessly Leo stroked her back with his hand and brushed her hair from hair face to behind her ear. She simply smiled and put her hand on his to acknowledge the gesture. But they didn't stay this way for long before they had to face the day. "What do you wanna do today, sweetheart?" Leo asked as they lay there. She thought for a moment before answering, "we should probably go to your parents, tell them what happened and that we're all right." He nodded and said, "We will but you know that they probably aren't even home right now so what do you want to do first?" She thought more about it then sighed, "We need to talk." He sighed too, not sure what she would say. He knew that the Elders had said something that had gotten to her, and he just hoped that he could reassure her about whatever it was. So they both sat up and faced each other on the bed and they looked right into each other's eyes, trying to read each other's thoughts.  
  
Leo smiled broadly and said, "rationality only matters when something needs to be explained. And I already understand." He reached for something and found a small picture album that he kept in the bedside table. He had been adding to it for many years so it was starting to get full. He held it so that it was in his hands just above Piper's lap and they could both see it. He opened it to the first page and she saw a picture that she didn't remember, of her. In the picture she was about 11 or 12 and was staring ahead, through her large glasses, off of the left edge of the picture. She was under the shade of their tree, the one where they first met and seemed to be totally oblivious. He took the picture out of the protective page and turned it around. "I took this picture after my first couple of weeks at school with you. I wanted to get a picture of you looking like I always saw you but in pictures you always insisted on taking your glasses off and giving a fake smile or something. And look at what I wrote on the back." She read the words on the backside of the photo, written in his boyish hand. The words read, "Piper Halliwell, my angel." She was shocked and unsure of what it all meant. "This album is full of pictures like those, of the moments that I was most in love with you, when you thought that no one was watching and would let your guard down completely. I would always look through them whenever I had even the slightest doubts about you or about anything. Because when I saw them I would think, 'any world that can ever be so beautiful can't be all that bad.' So whenever we went someplace or had a special day where I had a camera I would try and catch you when you weren't looking. It was kind of a game, to try and get the perfect picture. I mean at first I did it because… well I was only 11, I thought that it would be so cool to do something secretive and hidden and plus it was an accident the first time. I called your name to get you to look at me but you were kinda zoning out. And I just thought that the picture was beautiful the way it was. I felt like James Bond. But then I started getting older and I realized that I had fallen in love with this person and began to see her in everything that you did or said. Especially, ironically, in the only thing that you never see in these photos… your eyes. And I started to mold that into this odd ability to know exactly what you didn't want anyone to know. Sometimes I could tell based on what you were doing to hide it but sometimes I just had to see these pictures. Its difficult to understand or explain but finally the pictures weren't even how I saw the real you, I just looked at them when I was feeling down or afraid or anything. And I just started doing it in hopes that someday, if you ever forgot what you meant to me or who you were or needed the reassurance that you always gave me. That I could show them to you and you would understand and see the person that I see whenever I look at you." She flipped through the book, speechless and she laughed, "you know, Leo. If you had these mounted on a wall I would worry." He playfully hit her arm and laughed, embarrassed and questioning his decision to show it to her. She got to his favorite one and he stopped her. He took it out and observed it for a moment. It was from their sixth anniversary from the beach. Her nightgown was swaying in the subtle beach wind and her hair was flowing behind her. Barefoot, she smiled with her eyes closed and her arms open wide. Turning it over she saw what he had written on this one. "The only fish in the sea?" She asked him, smiling. He nodded, "They all say corny stuff like that, your not freaked out are you?" She took a moment to absorb everything and found herself smiling and shaking her head. "You do not know how much this explains. I mean its weird to think that you noticed me when I didn't think anyway saw me and especially when I didn't want them to but it also confirms something I also knew but could never explain. Sometimes I would come to you just to let my guard down for awhile and forget about all of the stupid stuff that people out too much focus on. Like my looks, or my age, or my position in the family, or all of these other things. I mean this, babe, is a bit psychotic but I understand in that irrational way, exactly why you did it. Thank you for going through so much trouble just to see what no one else did. And thanks for showing me. I guess that I needed to know that you aren't going to forget to see that part of me. That you won't get lost in those things." She was getting teary-eyed by now and he comforted her. "That's what I thought, and don't worry I won't let that happen. I love you way too much, you're my angel." 


	9. Last Week

Reassured in her husband she felt better about the world and decided to make the most of their last week before he was gone all of the time. Really, she hadn't planned anything special but requested that they spend all of their time together. He happily agreed and they started to plan out what their day would hold. By now it was afternoon and they decided to go to his parents' house and hopefully find them there. When they arrived, Lena was coloring a picture at the coffee table and his parents were sitting on the couch. They approached the family and got their attention. They all looked up and saw the two, which seemed to bring relief. "We were wondering when you two would show!" His mother said before jumping up to give them both a hug. "Sorry Mrs. Wyatt, we would have come last night but it was pretty late and we were really tired." Piper said, a bit freaked out by the gesture that her mother in law had just made. "Oh Piper, call me Evelyn. After all I have only known you what 6 years now?" At this point Piper was completely worried and froze the entire room. She unfroze Leo who didn't seem surprised that his entire family was frozen. "It's okay Piper. I forgot to tell you but it turns out we were wrong about them. They didn't want to come to the wedding because it might tip the Elders off about what we were doing. They protected us." Looking at the frozen woman before her she said, "What about what your dad said? About enjoying it while it lasted and the fact that your parents have despised me ever since we spilled the magic beans." Feeling defensive about their actions he said, "Oh Pipe, they never really hated you. They just worried about the whole whitelighter/ white thing and I don't think that they thought we would last this long which could ruin what I was destined to do, which was to be your whitelighter. I think that they are trying to make amends." Still skeptical she said, "Fine, but if it turns out that your mother is possessed or a shapeshifter or something… It's your fault." And she unfroze them, carefully watching both. "And besides Piper," Leo's mom continued, "Your Mrs. Wyatt now, too." Noticing how the woman smiled at her she started to let her guard down. Leo got his mother's smile, the smile that always reassured her and gained her trust. Piper hugged her and said, "Yeah, Evelyn I guess that you're right." Leo's father had hung back somewhat and now stepped forward to face his new daughter in law, "I know that we haven't said this yet, but welcome to the family Piper. We always knew that someday it would be you. But we never thought that you could somehow convince the Elders to be okay with it. I talked to them today and they seemed almost glad! What in the world did you say to them?" he was looking at Leo when he said this but Leo shook his head and admitted, "Certainly nothing that I did, this one was all her." Piper blushed and saw that everyone was looking at her. "Well I just stood firm and made sure to let them know that nothing they could say would change my mind. I mean it all gave me a lot to think about, but I know that what matters is that the man you raised is a good man who puts other people first. And that he is everything that makes a whitelighter and that while their reasons for being against it were sound and logical that they just didn't know him the way that I do." Leo put his arm around her shoulder and held the hand that she placed on it, giving it a reaffirming squeeze. "Well Piper that is impressive, standing up to the Elders like that, they still terrify me sometimes." Leo's father said in awe. "Oh are you kidding I was petrified but I just thought of Leo and it gave me strength, It also helped that in my mind I saw them as a bunch of kids in long white robes having a hissy fit. It made them a bit less scary." Lena looked up at her in confusion, " I thought that you were supposed to picture them in their underwear." They all laughed and Leo spoke first, "Now that would be just plain scary." As they all laughed again Piper finally felt accepted and she liked that feeling. She was absolutely thrilled when his father whispered in her ear, "Call me Richard and please, take good care of our little boy." Smiling she responded, "Nothing could make me happier, Richard."  
  
They ended up staying for lunch and when they left, both felt better than they had in awhile. After orbing home, Piper looked at him and said, "Jeez, I don't know how we are going to top that tomorrow!" He came up behind her and swiftly slipped his arms around her waist and whispered a suggestion into her ear. "What do you say tomorrow we don't leave the house at all. She turned her head towards his and gently leaned on him, "Don't tempt me." Smiling at the thought he said, "and why not, Mrs. Wyatt?" With a big smile he teased her, drawing out the name. "Your makin' fun of me aren't you Mr. Wyatt." He nodded and said, "I'm afraid so, my dear. So tell me what are you going to do about it." She turned her head and looked up a bit to see his face and said, "That all depends on what you do next." She got out of his hold and turned to face him, putting her hands on her hips and issuing a challenge. "Well," he asked, "what if I do this?" And he picked her up in one motion kissing her neck as he carried her. "I think that would tell you that if you want to sleep in all day tomorrow that we would have a few places that we need to go today." Sighing dramatically he said, "okay okay," and put her down. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and grabbed the keys to the car. "I'll meet you down there, baby, 'cuz I gotta tell you that peach is definitely not your best color in lipstick."  
  
---WE COULD HAVE---  
  
The next day found them still peacefully sleeping at 11:30, something that was completely uncharacteristic of them. Which is why, when her sisters had been trying all morning to reach them, decided to come and investigate it themselves. Piper heard the doorbell ring and shouted, "I'm coming," towards the door then slid out of bed. Walking like a person who had just woken up she covered herself with the comforter wrapped around her body like a towel. She padded her way over to the door and opened it, still rubbing her eyes. She was confused to see her sisters and asked what they were doing up so early which caused both to laugh. "Piper, its almost noon!" When her watch confirmed this she blushed and said, "Uh... come on in." Leo chose this moment to realize that she had left their bed and had Piper not shouted, "Leo, sweetheart, I think that my sisters want to talk to you." He probably would have forgotten to wrap the sheet around his waist. Finding this entire exchange hilarious Phoebe asked, "So you guys put in a long night?" Piper and Prue both said her name loudly at the same time then met each other's eye and laughed. By the time Leo walked in they were all cracking up. He just shook his head and muttered something about Halliwell women. Prue rolled her eyes and said, "Well we are sorry to bother you guys but we have been trying to call you all morning. We were wondering if maybe we could move our little training session to today, I can't do it tomorrow and neither can Phoebes." Yawning, Leo said "Why not, we can move our plans to tomorrow." This he said towards Piper who blushed again and turned to her sisters, "We'll be in the basement at 2. Does that work for you guys?" They could hardly suppress their giggles as they agreed to her time. They both gave her a hug and Prue leaned in to whisper, "No sex without safe sex." Which was what she had always said, whenever either of her sisters would go on a date though she had stopped telling her that when Piper got married. She laughed and pushed her sisters out the door. She turned back to Leo and asked, "Exactly what was it that you mumbled about Halliwell women?" Torn between feeling like he should have been apologizing and taking it as a joke he answered, "That I'm lucky to have wrangled me one." Laughing at his pathetic attempt to said like a cowboy she said, "Oh Leo, don't quit your day job." Looking hurt he said, "Well darlin' I couldn't possibly. Because I don't have one." Smiling she said, "Today you do." And kissed him, grabbing a hold of his sheet and pulling it back to their room.   
  
---WE COULD HAVE---  
  
When Prue and Phoebe went down into the basement they found that Piper and Leo had gotten there early and started without them. They both watched as the two fought. It was pointless really, they knew each other's movements too well and could predict what the other would do but it was more of a work out technique anyway. But Leo noticed them watching and was distracted long enough that Piper was able to knock him off of his feet. Still not seeing her sisters she sat on his stomach so that he couldn't get up and asked, "Is that the best that you can do, cowboy?" Looking past her he said, "Hey guys." And she got the point standing up and helping him to his feet. Without turning around she asked, "How long are you going to torment me for?" They had a quick powwow and counted on their fingers before saying, "That depends. Did you really just call him cowboy." Leo walked past and whispered in her ear, "Suddenly it is so much easier to remember why we wanted our own place." Laughing she turned to her sisters and saw that they were dressed for a workout. Phoebe wore a tight fitting bike top with a looser pair of shorts that were both her current favorite color, purple. And Prue wore a tight tank top with a pair of work out pants. Piper had just worn her usual which was just denim shorts and a T-shirt but wondered if she should change. But then Leo started and she felt like she was in class again. "We're going to start by using today to work on your physical combat, because in a demonic battle you never know when your powers will have no effect and you will have to use anything else that you can. First we should warm and to do that you guys will be doing exactly what we were just doing." Prue smirked and raised her hand daintily, "you mean flirting with our teacher, cowboy." Piper was embarrassed and Phoebe and Prue couldn't contain their laughter but Leo chose to ignore it. "Piper I want you to work with Phoebe today. We have been doing this for so long that it's somewhat useless anyway. Prue that means that you are with me. Please guys, this is important if the Elders think that I am not training you well enough they may choose to reassign me." They grew serious then and started fighting, Prue and Leo were about even on their fighting skills and Piper was able to keep up even though Phoebe was a much better fighter. When Phoebe had gotten Piper on her back Leo said that it was time to stop and they all turned to face him. All right, now we will do that each week using more and more of what we learn but remember never to use your powers directly on the other person. Now I want you to work as a team, in this exercise it will be the three of you against me and you can use your powers. Don't be too careful, as a whitelighter you can't kill me but as a demon I could take out any one of you. Be ready for energy balls and duck them with everything you have because although mine will not kill, a demon's easily could. Get ready." And with that he suddenly orbed out, right behind Piper whose hands he held behind her back while sending an energy ball at Prue. She tked it away, knowing not to risk Piper's safety by aiming it at Leo. Piper had, by this time, taken the opportunity of his distraction and started to fight back but found that he was much stronger then she was. Somehow she had never realized that, probably because he was always so gentle and would never use his strength against her. Prue sent a telekinetic blast towards both of them so that they were sent against the wall and his hold of Piper was broken, giving her a chance to freeze him. But once frozen they had no idea as to what to do with him. But Piper saw their perfect weapon and grabbed a knife that she had found. She put it right up against the skin in front of Leo's heart and unfroze him, finding themselves face to face. But they had to be professional so Leo congratulated them but went on to critique their performance, exchanging a glance with Piper that said clearly, I'm sorry I love you but I don't want to lose you. She understood though and just listened, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "Now, that was very good and you did win but Phoebe, you may not have active powers but you are still a part of this trio. Plus you have the best fighting ability. Also you would be seen by some demons as the smallest threat and you could use that to help distract the demon's attention towards you and away from them." She nodded resolutely and they started again. It was another hour before they left and all of them crashed, falling asleep in their separate beds.  
  
Finally it came to be the last day of their uninterupted week. The morning sun found them asleep and slowly crept into their eyes until finally it awoke one resident of the room. Leo was the first to awaken and find Piper's body touching his own. her hair was tucked back into a braid, otherwise it would have rested on his face. A few strands had loosened themselves and splashed onto her face. Her gently moved these rebelious pieces and kissed her bare shoulder, unable to resist. The speggetti strap of her silky night gown had fallen in the night and he kissed the space where it should have been moving his soft kisses all the way up her neck and onto her cheek. Finally, she awoke to find his body heat warming her in the soft chill of an early autumn morning. She shivered slightly in his embrace, more from exhileration then from cold. He gently pulled away and found her robe on the knob of the closet door and insisted that she put it on, rather then risk a cold. She did as he asked but insisted that she had a better way that she would rather use to warm up. Before long they were back where they started, in a warming embrace, and they stayed that way for another half hour before waking. They moved into the kitchen where they were faced with the chores that they had let slide over the week, too caught up in what they were doing. Leo took notice of the empty refrigerator, unpaid bills and sink full of dishes with a sigh. He pulled her into an embrace and whispered in her ear, "We should get all this done befoer tommorrow." She shook her head and turned to face him, "no way, I will take care of it tommorrow." But he persisted and it was decided that they would spend their last day on the normal tasks of the day. And they even managed to make the most mundane of tasks into quality time. By noon, they were home enjoying a lovely meal of sandwhiches and chips. It looked like it would be the end of a day but then a thought occured to one of the lovers, "We promised to have dinner with your parents tonight!!" So they had one more task of the day and somehow it was the perfect day, because it was a normal day together.  
  
They drove that night to the Wyatt house and were greeted at the door by little Lena, who had taken to being the perfect house. She politely welcomed them in and took their jackets, leading them into the kitchen where Evelyn waited, reading a magazine. Piper could hear Richard milling around in the kitchen and could smell the aroma from the kitchen. She felt slightly uncomfortable, and offered to help. But three Wyatts forced Leo and her to sit side by side, stationary. The table was set not long after and they began to eat, keeping up a civil conversation about a surprisingly comfortable rang of topics. Richard and Evelyn talked about becoming a whitelighter and seemed to be quite anxious to share the knowledge with their son. They explained what training would entail, something that both Leo and Piper had been dying to know. Apparently he would be assigned a mentor, someone whom he would follow around and learn from until it was time for him to receive his own charges. They entailed the long hours and the tedious chores that he would be allowed to help with. But they kept on insisting that it would be entirely rewarding. And in the lull of conversation the Wyatt parents made an announcement of their own. When Leo was born they had split their duties, sharing charges so that they could be home. But now, with Leo all grown and Lena in school, they would be going back to full time. Piper half listened to the responce, noticing Lena. The little girl looked so lonely there, and Piper realized that she had come to view the child as a sister. She had been at the hospital when Lena was born and had been babysitting with Leo since then. She realized also that they shared another connection, one that comes from feeling abandoned. Sometimes she felt that way too, like Leo was abandoning her. And she wondered if maybe Lena could come to see her as a big sister, seeing as how she had taken away her brother. As they were leaving Piper pulled Lena aside and got down to her level. The girls blue eyes stared back at her, surprised. "Lena, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" She began, keeping the child's gaze. "You see, with Leo gone all the time our apartment is going to be very lonely, I was hoping that you would come and visit me," She finished and saw an eagerness that made her smile. Then Lena got a very serious look on her face and wiggled her finger, indicating that Piper should come closer. Then she pulled aside the hair near her ear and whispered into it, "Can it be our little secret?" Lena looked so excited at the prospect that Piper was powerless to say no. So they planned it, Piper would pick her up from school that Monday and then they would both find comfort from the loneliness that comes from depending on a whitelighter. 


	10. New Life

The night was too short for them both and soon they found the morning sun invading their eyes and the unwanted whitelighter call bellowed him away. He woke Piper up as he promised he would then left her sleeping to meet his new life. Who he ended up meeting was his new mentor and one of the Elders who had served as a judge against his current life. The Whitelighter was a man with red hair and a smile that seemed molded onto his face. Only a few years older then Leo, he got the feeling that they would become friends. The Elder, an extremely old man with hair as gray as his obvious outlook, introduced Leo to his new mentor. "This is Nathan, he will be the one who overseas your training. With the... umm.. special circumstances that you are found in, we must request that you refrain from telling too many of the others about your situation. Other then that I can only wish you good luck. If you follow your parents' example then Nathan may be able to make a fine whitelighter out of you yet!" Without another word, he left leaving the two to exchange an amused glance. "Is everyone like that?" Leo asked and Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, they are all just uptight about something lately. I have a feeling that you know what about. And don't worry about what he said, They expect you to tell me everything." Smiling, Leo reached for his wallet. He pulled out his wedding picture and showed it to Nathan "What this? And call me Nate by the way," was the response he got as Nathan stared at the picture. Leo pointed toward the image of Piper and explained, "She is why. That is my wife Piper, a charmed one." Shaking his head and laughing Nate replied, "Some guys get all the luck! You have a beautiful wife and have managed to piss off the Elders! All before you turned 18! That has been my life mission, you know! But I am just too much of a tight ass for my own good!" Leo laughed at the mischievious glint that appeared in Nate's eye. "Yeah right, I bet! But speaking of Piper, would you like to meet her? She would love it if she got to meet some of my fellow whitelighters. Maybe you could have dinner with us later, she's a great cook." Nate shook his head at Leo jokingly. "You expect to be home for dinner? oh you poor poor fool! The reason that you got assigned to me was beacuse they know that I work trainees to the bone! The only thing they don't know is that I always feel so bad that I make sure to give them one day a month of guarenteed peace." Leo's face fell slightly and nate took advantage of the serious moment to say, "allright now punk we have ot get to the most boring part of duty... staff meetings." Leo was caught off guard by the sudden change and looked so worried that Nate could hardly stop laughing. "Oh I'm going to have so much fun with you! First lesson, never let me see you sweat." And they were off, Leo's mind drifting towards home.   
  
The next morning, Piper was glad to have found Leo asleep next to her. She didn't wake him, but did wonder how she had gotten from the living room to the bed the night before. He had even taken off her shoes and unbuttoned her pants, to make her more comfortable. She hopped up and moved into the kitchen, making breakfast for herself and enough for him if he had time to eat. The smell of frying bacon lured him away form bed and he found her there in the kitchen and startled her by kissing her on the neck. Keeping his arms around her waist he whispered in her ear, "you have no idea how much I missed you yesterday." And she playfully hit him, "Don't do that Leo!" She exclaimed. He just laughed and she kissed him, "morning sunshine." He said with a sarcastic grin on his face." She dodged the comment with a smile and replied, "what time did you roll in last night?" Pulling her back into his arms, he placed a head on her shoulder, so that she could feel his hot breath on her neck and his skin on hers. Sighing, he replied, "Late, you had already conked out on the couch." Nodding she escaped the grasp and finished with breakfast, setting it down on the table. He watched her, judging her mood by admiring the way that she moved. "What did you do yesterday?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know. "I went to a job interview." She said. "And..." he probed, hoping that the news would be positive. "Well the chef said I didn't have quite enough experience, so I enrolled in a culinary academy and he gave me a waitressing job that I can do part time while I study." He was surprised as well as concerned that she was giving up on dreams. "A waitress, honey you don't have to do that! We'll figure out another way." Smiling at his concern, she shook her head, "Its okay, Leo! I want to do this! Because this way, I end up doing what I love and the bills don't pile up while we wait. So how was your first day?" Still concerned, he allowed her to change the subject. "It was all right, hectic though. Oh and Nate says that he is giving me off one day every month. So that we can have some time together. What do you think?" Smiling her said, "thats great! I mean, its not much but at least its not like we'll never see each other!" This was such a concern of them both that it relived some strain. "So what is my beautiful wife doing today?" he asked, lightening the mood. "I'm not sure who you mean but I am doing some errands this morning then I have plans at 3:00. And you are?" She said this with a smile, knowing that he was curious what plans she wasn't mentioning. But he got the point of her statement of you don't tell me I don't tell you. "Not sure yet, I just get to wait around until I'm called." She smiled and nodded hoping he would spend the day with her. "Wanna go with me to the grocery store, the bank, the restaurant and the pharmacy?" She asked trying to make it sound appealing. He laughed and said, "that depends will my beautiful wife be there?" He asked, causing her to get a falsely hurt look on her face. "Well Leo if you don't stop referring to this other woman I may just think that your not being faithful!" At, this he grabbed her around the waist and said "You!" in a gruff and joking way. They were both laughing as he forced her to kiss him and she broke away to do her errands with him following behind.  
  
At 2:30 Piper got out of her car at the Elementary school and emersed herself in the throng of children, trying to find the one she was there to see. Finally, Lena spotted her and ran to excitedly greet her with a hug. "Piper! Piper! You came! You came!" She was shouting as she bounced up and down. "Yes, yes! I did! I did!" she responded with a laugh, leading the girl towards her car. She loaded a green backpack into the backseat and let Lena sit in the front, something that no one ever did. Lena felt so special as she looked over at her new sister and could see that Piper was excited too. When they got to the apartment Piper made them both a snack and then she forced Lena to get out her homework, something Lena hadn't really expected. But Piper was insistent and stubborn, something she had learned from years with a younger sister. Lena was embarrassed by this, she liked Piper and didn't want her to see how dumb she was. Or actually it wasn't that she was dumb but she did have a hard time with her school work. But Piper surprised her, she plopped down in the chair next to her and did what no one else seemed to do, take the time to help her. It wasn't that her family didn't love her it was just that they didn't have time for her. And Piper also showed no judgement when she struggled, just insisted that Lena was smart enough to do anything she put her mind to. That night, when Piper dropped her off at home, Lena was all smiles and couldn't help but look forward to next time. And dropping Lena off, Piper felt the same way. She enjoyed feeling like she was helping somebody, like she was really needed. She hadn't felt that way since her sisters had all grown and learned to live without her. And she knew that this idea was one of the best she had ever agreed to, and that she and Lena would both be the better for it. Satisfied, she headed home to get ready for her first day at work.  
  
That is all that is written for now and know that this has been the painstaking work of several months and any reviews are greatly appreciated. I may be redoing some of the chapters and will always take constructive criticism or ideas. Thank you so much!  
  
Amanda 


	11. A New Job

Okay I know this isn't much or all that great but its an update. I have to segway through some stuff before I can do some more interesting storylines. THank you all SO much for reviewing. Lyndsey I LOVE that you are using my own quotes against me, you know youre popular when someone does that! Lol, Im working on your requests and I promise it will get better. THank you Charmed , Middle Sister and K-C Piper fan your comments meant lots.   
  
love Amanda  
  
Piper drove over to the restaurant unsure of what her first day would hold. She had met the owner during her interview but he was leaving town and wouldn't even be there. She wanted badly to make a good first impression and just hoped that she didn't try too hard. Entering her new workplace, Piper saw that it was pretty packed filled with hungry customers who tended to be chic and ritzy. Piper noticed her attire and realized that she didn't even know the proper uniform. A quick survey made her see that more then her clothing made her stick out. Easily she was the youngest person there as the clientele and employees gravitated more towards the mid twenties to early forties group. Piper walked outside long enough to check her hair and make up in a compact mirror from her purse. She had worn a short black skirt and white blouse, something that she and Lena had chosen together. Whether or not a seven year old was the best authority on fashion she decided it was good enough and ventures inside, slightly more assured and found a waitress who had stopped for a moment. The woman was in her late twenties or early thirties with short blonde hair and a slightly dazed look. Piper quickly ran forward to introduce herself, "Hi I'm Piper." She said, holding out her hand, "New waitress." The woman finally understand and took her hand, "Sorry I'm just having one of those days, you understand. I'm Jessica by the way." Piper shook the woman's hand and smiled, "That's okay Jessica we all have our off days. Anything I can do to help?" Jessica looked more closely and was surprised to realize that this kid was genuinely asking, and that she would gladly have helped if she could, Jessica shook her head with a smile and called to the other waitress on shift that night. The other woman, a twenty something blonde who had a ballerina's body and the grace in her movement. "Dawn we have help! A newbie! Its Piper, right?" Piper nodded and waved to Dawn, "Yeah it's Piper.. Piper Halli... I mean Wyatt." Piper felt ditzy at screwing up her own name, and Jessica an Dawn met eyes with a smile. Dawn went back to work as Jessica asked, "What was your name? If you can remember it that is." Piper laughed good naturedly at the way her new friend teased her. "Sure pick on the new girl! Halliwell is my maiden name, and I'm still getting used to the name change. Now where do I find one of these lovely aprons?" Jessica would have liked to continue her questioning but a costumer's call brought them all back to reality. Piper learned quickly and was so eager that her new coworkers found her youthful enthusiasm hilarious. By the end of the night they had taken her under their wing and showed her the ropes. As they said goodbye to the last costumer it gave Jessica a chance for further inquiries. "How old are you Piper? I said 21 but Dawn guessed closer to 19." The casual question was one that Piper knew she had been dying to ask. They clocked out as Piper answered, "I'm flattered! Actually, I'm turning 18 soon." Jessica gave her a look and continued, "You tight with your folks? I mean your pretty young to be on your own and you mentioned you were married?" Piper sighed, grabbing her jacket and purse. "Actually I barely remember my mother she died when I was young and my father was never around though he recently came back. My sisters and I were raised by our grandmother and yeah we're pretty close. They are all great and my husband is my soulmate who I happened to meet young. You?" Her bluntness surprised the older woman as she had pegged Piper as a shy type. "Well I've been on my own for awhile. Had a kid too young, been working here to long but things are good. My son is all that I need, he's 6 now, a bright kid." Piper smiled sympathetically, "Well I meant it before, if you ever need anything.." Jessica smiled and patted her shoulder, "thanks kid, that means a lot." They went their separate ways and Piper made it to her car, then drove home falling into bed. She was too tired to even notice the empty spot that should have held Leo. 


	12. Surprises: Part One

So I wrote this one much later in the day (around 3 am) which means that it will definetley be better then my last post! Thank you so much for reviewing!   
  
Love Amanda  
  
Three weeks passed in this fashion, with Piper falling into bed each night, exhausted. The time was mixed between culinary school, work, Lena, her sisters, training and rarely time with Leo. She barely saw her husband anymore and she really missed him. They met at odd times of the day and sometimes shared an odd meal but most of their communication involved notes left on the alarm clock or counter. Little did Piper know what he had in store for her that morning.  
  
She awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed and leaned over to check the digital clock, jolting up when she realised the time. She must have slept through the alarm! But how? "I must be more tired then I realised", she reasoned and was torn between getting and rushing to arrive for her last 10 minutes of class or just falling back into bed and basking in the sunshine that filled the room. But this all important train of thought was interupted by a sound that caught her ear. Hummin, someone was humming through the slighlt opened bedroom door. She quickly recognised the tune maker as Leo. Laughing, she sat up and got out of bed, putting on a robe. She found Leo busy at work in the kitchen and smelt the tantalizing aromas that he was creating. But he caught her watching and dragged her back to bed.   
  
"Its called breakfast in bed, sweetheart. Your not allowed to get up!" He told her with a sly smile, quickly darting from the room.  
  
"Wait!" She called uselessly, taking off her robe and falling luxuriously back into bed.   
  
Before long, Leo returned with a tray and a huge smile. Piper couldn't help but share the sentiment as she eyeballed the sweet guesture thought it confused hersomewhat. She couldn't understand why he had gone to so much trouble.   
  
"So what's the occassion?" She asked as he placed the tray on her lap, he smiled a secret smile that she couldn't quite interperit.   
  
"Well sweetheart. its not everyday that my beautiful wife becomes an adult, no longer certifying me a cradle robber! He smiled at his little joke as he watched her face react and dawn a realisation.   
  
"Oh my god!" She said, slapping her hand to her mouth in horror, "Its my birthday! How the hell did I manage to forget that?"  
  
Leo laughed gently and stroked Piper's hair supportively, placing it behind her ear. She smiled as she leaned over to kiss him appreciatively. he kisse dher back then pushed the tray up in a more stable position, smiling jokingly as he left her in blissful silence. Left alone, she noticed the tray, which held heart shaped pancakes, eggs and bacon on the china they got as a wedding present. Pulpless orange juice and a white daisy also adorned the tray. She couldn't believe how much he spoiled her sometimes. And the best part of it all was knowing that he put so much thought and time into it, into her. As she finished eating, she took a moment to consider her new position as an "adult". She'd felt like one for so long now that it being official almost unnerved her, like it meant that she hadn't been one before. Piper sighed and realised what lay before her, the day of relaxation that she needed and deserved. With that thought, a smile pasted itself on her face. Piper sat up on her knees as Leo reentered the room allowing her to notice him for the first time that day. He wore jeans that she always thought made him look so sexy with a tight fitting shirt. he moved towards her and she smiled seductivly, "where's my birthday kiss?" She asked.  
  
"Right here," he responded, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Her heart fluttered as he gently lowered her onto the bed. She took off his shirt and traced his chest with her hands. He got even by removing her baby blue tank top and by kissing her neck. She crawled back onto the bed, causing him to follow and she unbottoned his jeans, "Happy birthday to me!" She moaned as she melted into her soulmate's arms.   
  
She smiled over at Leo, who lay across from her and sighed happily, "I missed you. 2 words and a quick kniss just don't cut it." He sighed as well, "Which is why we have to take full advantages of days like this. Today, Mrs. Wyatt, I am all yours." Craling into his embrace, Piper teased. "You are all mine everyday, my dear." He held her close, "Of course I am, but today I am all yours AND I'm HERE!" She laughed and admitted that he had a point, "Well Mr. Wyatt, we have got to meet this way more often!" And leaned in to kiss him again. Pulling away, they both felt the electric passion but Leo knew they had somewhere to be. "Unfortunetley my sweet wife, I am all yours but you are not all mine. Your darling sisters warned that you should be decent by 5 minutes from now." She sighed and reluctantly stood up and dressed, aware that he watched her as she did. He was memorizing her every movement and every stroke on her artistic body. It would sustain him in the days without her and keep her forever etched in his mind, half clothed and bathed in late morning sunlight. He dressed again, though she held his shirt and refused to give it back so that when the doorbell rang he was topless. Her sisters opened the door creeping in to blindfold their unsuspecting sister. Leo laughed and took his shirt back, "I knew you shouldn't have let them have a key." 


	13. Surprises Part three: The first time

sorry it took so long but... oh well. THis next part skips ahead and I would have waited to post until I had written the next part but I was just so excited to have a new post so I will be adding her day, (suggestions and how you guys have celebrated birthdays would be much appreciated) now there are some parts that make this PG13 oh and the reason I did the whole long flashback was because I wanted to fill in some gaps that I left. I am going to include more if there is one you would like to request. THank you so much to everyone who posted! I appreciate it more then you know. Oh if sexual scenes make you feel uncomfortable then feel free to skip down to the second to last paragraph. Don't worry its not too bad. Please please keep reviewing  
  
thank you so much  
  
Amanda  
  
The couple returned home, weary after such a long day, but knew they had to embrace their last hours of peace. Piper put some left over spaghetti in the fridge and turned on the radio. A song was playing that brought back another memory. The food.. the music... Piper was drawn away to a time, less then 2 years earlier, when the two had made love for the first time.   
  
By the age of sixteen they had spoken about sex, and had talked through their decision which was that they were ready, when the time was right. The discussion came up when Prue had walked in on a serious make put session and asked her sister point blank if she and Leo had talked about it. This blatancy and protective nature was typical of the eldest Halliwell and Piper always took her advice to heart but that didn't stop her from being slightly annoyed by the persistence of her well meaning sibling. Every time Piper would be seeing Leo, Prue whispered in her ear "No glove no love" and was continually stuffing condoms into her pockets and purse. Finally Piper talked to her about it and she toned it down a bit only annoying her whenever she went on a date. She also made it very clear that she was there for Piper to talk to and that she WOULD be kept up to date. Piper thought more about it and realized that Prue hadn't had anyone to talk to about "it" and maybe she wanted to be there for Piper, gaining a closer companion in the process. While Prue talked about it constantly, she and Leo had yet to breach the topic again though it was weighing heavily on both their minds. Mostly Piper was afraid that they would lose each other or simply that her relationship would change as so many high school relationships do once they get physical. Finally she just told herself that hers was no ordinary High school relationship. Besides, she was always so cautious about EVERYTHING! Maybe now was the time to throw caution to the wind and listen to her heart not her head.   
  
A Saturday night no long afterward gave her the chance. It was valentines day and they had a romantic evening planned. Leo's parents were away for the weekend and Lena had been left with their grandparents. In planning, Leo made it clear that he had no expectations but really the opportunity was perfect. Piper had not yet decided completely whether or not she was ready but Prue was still up to her old tricks and they had a talk which ended when she assured Prue that she and Leo had talked about protection. She got dressed up for the dinner, forcefully not thinking about what may happen afterward. She wore a long red skirt and short sleeved pink blouse. A perfect gentleman, he arrived promptly at 5:30 and Prue answered the door. She had plans with Andy later and Penny was already out. The two spoke for a few minutes until Leo went upstairs to knock on Piper's door. She told him to come in, thinking it was Prue. Leo smiled as he watched her put on a pair of earrings and a pair of sandals. She realized her mistake as she felt his presence there, it was something she had come to recognize. "You know, Leo, if you don't stop staring at me I may think you only like me for my looks!" It was a well worn phrase she used whenever she caught him staring. "Well of course I like you for your looks darling I do have eyes. But I love you for your incredible power... over me." Smiling, he stepped forward to give her a quick but lingering kiss. She grabbed her purse as he asked if she was ready to go.   
  
The drive was comfortable and familiar if a little quiet. Everything was right on schedule. The plan had been decided on long before and included Piper's cooking and Leo's Television set. Grams had been teaching Piper how to cook on top of her foods class in school but this would be the first time she had cooked for him. Together they had gone shopping at the grocery store to get everything necessary for the meal. Piper had seriously considered cooking it at home and bringing it with her but she had seen too many cheesy love scenes in the kitchen which mixed with her own belief on the more sensual aspect of food. Arriving at the Wyatt house, Piper realized that Leo had gotten the same idea. The place was silentand the sound of his keys hitting the table was resonating. But it didn't last long as he ducked away and music began to fill the empty space. Piper took off her coat and tossed it aside, venturing into the kitchen. There were candles scattered everywhere in the dining room and all the lights were dimmed. She loved when Leo showed his romantic side because of how well it clicked with hers. He reappeared in the kitchen and twirled her to the music, making her laugh. But she turned serious and told him that it was time to start dinner. He rolled up his sleeves and she had him get everything out onto the counter. They were going to make Italian the food of love.   
  
And it proved to be a great bonding experience though not nearly as sensual as she would have thought. They boiled the spaghetti noodles while Piper made the sauce and Leo tossed a salad. By 6:30 the meal was complete. Leo ducked out again while Piper made the plates and when he came back he held a bottle of champagne. "Where did you get that from, you little lawbreaker?" She asked, surprised by the action. He shrugged, embarrassed, "My dad. His only request was that mom never finds out. What do ya' say?" his most charming smile was infectious. Thinking it over, she smiled, "okay, I'm tired of being such a goody-goody all the time. And who better to get loose with then another goody two shoes who I happen to adore!" He laughed and poured them each a glass. Over the good china and a long candle, he proposed a toast. "To you, my darling Piper, may we be a little less like what everyone thinks we are." She chuckled and raised her glass, "hear hear!" They both took a sip and set their glasses down before they begain to eat. As they eat, they talked about school and their families like any other time then they did the dishes together despite Leo's insistence that he would do it later. There was a beat of tense silence before Leo said, "I almost forgot!" And ducked away yet again. He returned with a wrapped gift. "I thought we weren't doing gifts!" She said as he handed it to her. "Well I have been meaning to give you this for quite some time now and its nothing much. She opened it to reveal a bracelet that she knew they made at the carnival. It was thick gold wire and had been manipulated to spell Leo heart Piper. She smiled, "Oh Leo! This is so sweet!" She exclaimed this as she put it on. "So are you," he replied as he took her hand. They met eyes for a moment and slowly descended into a passionate kiss.   
  
Piper pulled away, feeling the champagne and her own hormones intensifying the feel of his hand on hers. She heard Prue's voice in her head and told Leo that she would meet him in his room. He blew out the candles while she grabbed her purse and met him at the door. "ARe you sure about this?" he asked, knowing full well what would happen. She found a condom in her purse and held it up between her fingers, "totally!" She restarted their kiss with as much passion as it had held before. He tried to put his fingers through her hair but was blocked by the fact that it was up in a twist. She reached back and remedied this while Leo gently lead the them inside the spotlessly clean room. The music still blared in and the songs that played would remain locked within their memories forever. They kept kissing, with full force and hands began to wander again. Piper unbuttoned Leo's shirt , revealing his familiar chest. His hand slowly left her hair moved to her back where he supported her weight as he guided her to the bed. She was in a sitting position with the two still firmly attached at the mouth. She removed his shirt completely and he broke their kiss long enough for retaliation. His eyes lingered a moment on her half naked form and he gasped, "My god! You are so beautiful!" As though in disbelief that such beauty could exist. She felt so covered in his love that finally had an absolute decision, that this may be the best thing she had ever decided to do. "I love you," she told him and he put a hand on her chin, "and you know that I am head over heals, over the moon, stop the presses, in love with you right?" She smiled, "I had a feeling." And she found his lips again, blissfully happy.   
  
He gently carried her over to the head of his bed and kissed her neck. She pulled away and reversed the roles, leaving Leo to fall on his back and let her take the lead. She straddled him and leaned down so she could find his lips again, which left her body completely against his. They both trembled, full of exhilaration and adrenalin. She had her hands on his chest but gently moved them down to meet his belly button then... She unbuttoned his pants but was interupted when he turned the tide again and lay her tenderly on her back. He kissed her stomach as he slowly removed her long skirt. He then kissed all the was from her belly to the spot between her eyes then to her mouth. The kiss lasted a moment before Piper sat up more and started tugging at the top of his pants. He unzipped them and stood up long enough to take them off while she watched. he smiled a sexy smile and returned to her now equally as bare. She got to her knees to meet him and he crawled up to do the same. The kissed while he stroked her back and she held her hands on his chest. He slowly unclasped her bra and removed it, holding her trembling body to his. He continued to stroke her back and hair while she lost herself completely in the moment. She moved her hands further down and gently fingered the rim of his boxers. He leaned her back and kissed her neck then a straight line down to her naval. He carefully stroked above her panties with his hands then looked up to meet her eye, searching for any hesitation, he found none.   
  
They woke up the next morning to find the sun shining in. Piper enjoyed it for a moment and the feeling of waking in his arms before she fully realized where she was. "Oh my god! Leo!" She shouted, awakening him. "What's wrong, Piper? Your not regretting last night are you?" She shook her head with a huge smile. "No! Last night was.. amazing! But Leo, baby, I fell asleep here! I never planned on that! Grams must be freaking out right now! I can't believe I..." He calmly sat up as she jumped out of bed, covering herself with the sheet. He spoke calmly. "Piper, Grams is not freaking out! She was out too last night, remember? And Prue would have told her that you were already asleep or that you were at a friends house or something. Actually I know she covered for you because she told me she would. When I came to pick you up. And you and I both know she's a master at cover ups." Piper smiled, relieved. "How come you always have everything figured out?" She asked. HE smiled, "It's a gift." There was a beat of silence and she asked, "Things aren't going to be all weird are they? I don't want things to change." He smiled, reassuringly. "No way! You are MY piper and this is just one more thing that can bring us together." She melted at his smile and was convinced to come back to bed. "You take my breath away, Piper Halliwell!" he whispered in her ear as she felt his arms embrace her. "And you have all of me, Leo Wyatt, mind, body and soul." They lay in comfortable silence a while before Piper decided it was time for her to go home. She found all of her clothes and redressed, her hair was a mess but she did little more then comb through it with her fingers. Leo dresses as well and lead her, hand in hand, to the livingroom where he tried to talk her into staying for breakfast. She declined and found her coat and shoes and purse. He grabbed his keys and lead her back to his car.   
  
She spoke through the memory with Leo, who treasured it as much as she did. With a laugh, she realized something, "The first time I ever cooked for you was also the first time we.." he laughed and nodded, "also the first time we ever drank which probably had more to do with it." Piper nodded, "Yeah maybe, though we haven't really drank since then." He smiled and shook his head,"You, my darling, have blocked out Lacy Jonson's party. We both got so smashed!" She laughed as she remembered it, "Oh yeah! And I had the WORST hangover! I vowed never to drink again!" He winced in recollection, "Me too. Oh god and I gave you that awful hickey, remember?" She laughed even harder now, "I remember! And I told Grams that I burnt myself with a curling iron!" She was laughing too hard for speech, and so was he. They quieted slowly and Leo spoke again, "Or what about the time she walked in on us in your room, making out." Piper was laughing hysterically, though trying not to, "That was NOT funny! She wouldn't let me see you again for 2 weeks and gave me 'the talk' though I tried to tell her that not only had I gotten it from Prue already but had even given it to Phoebe." He continued laughing, "It was to funny! Because we saw each other anyway!" She tried to stop."I was terrified that Grams would walk in and find you in my bed or that Phoebe would come home early from her sleep over or.." He shook his head, "Well that didn't stop us from doing it again anyway! How many times did I climb through your window?" She loved laughing with him like this, it'd been awhile. "Yeah," She said more soberly. Then she chuckled, "And after all that Grams STILL thinks I 'saved myself' for our wedding night." He smiled, "Well we're all grown up now, Mrs. Wyatt." Then he gave her that sexy smile that made her melt. He gingerly lifted her into his arms and carried her across the threshold into their room. Laying her onto the bed, he whispered, "You still take my breath away, Piper Wyatt." She smiled and looked into his eyes whispering, "And you, Leo Wyatt, still have all of me: Mind, body, and spirit." The night brought a love that was every bit as earthshattering as their first and she fell asleep, a year older then the night before, with a smile and a warm embrace. 


	14. Surprises Part Next: Updated

You have no idea how sorry I am for not updating in so long. But I kept hitting this brick wall whenever I began writing. But I got a little reminder today that I needed to update (thanks) and i just sat down and wrote. now i know this isn't my best but it is my way of saying thanks and well I'm back and I really appreciate all your guys' support. Now, story. Thanks at the bottom.

btw the spelling is awful but i didnt have spell check and i just wanted to post. I'll proof it later.

**We Could Have**

**Surprises for Piper part 2. Now i decided to keep part 3 called that and where it was for now but eventually I'll shift it around and everything. **

In her new state of darkness Piper heard a scoff she recognised as Prue's that seemed to come from right behind her so she assumed the pair of hands tying the blind fold belonged to that sister. "Hate to break up this conversation but why am i being blindfolded?" Piper asked, sounding more irritated then she actually was. Her tone seemed to go unawknowleged though the sisters shared a smile (and a glance towards a temporarily shirtless Leo) before two hands fell on her shoulders leading her to the door. And Phoebe's abnociously cheerful voice replied, "Tradition dear sister, must be observed at all costs, even time with angels." Piper blushed slightly and could almost feel Leo doing the same. It made sense now and she know that, had her birthday not slipped her mind, she would have remembered it. They had done this to Prue on her 16th and her 18th and on the special birthdays of each sister in between and since. She even remembered why it was she couldn't see a thing through the blindfold, it had a spell cast on it. Phoebe had written it to make the experience that much worse. What she didn't know was where the secret location would be this year. She began to ask this question when Phoebe began to lead her somewhere.

But her question grew stillborn when another voice spoke up, Leo's. "I'll do that, Pheebs. No offense but I'd like to keep my bride in one piece." Piper couldn't help but laugh as she almost felt the scowl being directed toward her groom. And from experience she knew without seeing that phoebe now had her arms crossed and her weight on one foot. She knew that Leo's face would be a mixture of undisguised amusement and endless patience. He always used this expression whenever he spoke to either his little sister or hers. With this prior knowledge she also knew that Phoebe was about to protest this gentle treatment, anytime she felt like a child she would act out like one and Piper felt on tantrum on the way which is why she spoke. "Cut it out you two! Leo, stop being such a pest. Phoebe, just let Leo do it otherwise he'll fidget continuously."

Piper didn't have to be able to see to know that Phoebe shrugged, stuck her tounge out at Leo and started fighting with Prue about who got to drive. Their voices faded away as they walked out the door, leaving Leo to lead her out, check they had everything, and lock the door behind. Then out of nowhere, two strong arms lifted her up and began carrying her away. She felt his mouth move to her ear and expected him to whisper some sweet nothing but laughed when instead she heard, "So I'm a pest, am I?" She just snuggled into the familar arms and nodded, "I don't know how i put up with you." She felt the laugh that rocked his chest and smiled. If this is what being a year older felt then she liked it... a lot.

Piper had nearly fallen asleep when the car stopped. She had been curled up in the back with her head in Leo's lap giving him a perfect, nearly unobstructed view of her. When Prue wasn't looking he tried to untie that damn blindfold but Prue's knots where legendary because only she (and her telekinesis) could untie them. Besides, it was a Halliwell tradition and, while he made a habit of bitching and moaning about these odd rituals, he knew how important they were and wanted to see them preserved as much as anyone. He just hoped that he managed to survive the activities to come. They came up to their first destination and he sighed, suddenly wishing he had normal in laws.

**To all my reviewers: Thank you so much your comments mean the world to me. I just read them again and well... thanks. I promise not to go another 7 months. **

**To John: You know why mister.**

**To Charmed Love: For reading my story so many times and for reviewing so often and well for motivating me to get off my lazy ass.**


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